Barely making it to your flight gate — or even missing your flight — due to long lines at checkpoints could soon become a thing of the past. Here’s why: Transportation Security Administration is testing a new self-service system that could let you complete the screening process on your own.
The idea is to reduce the number of pat downs and bag inspections performed by transportation security officers (TSO) to free them up for busier parts of screening operations. It also lets you move through checkpoints at your own pace without feeling rushed.Â
“Like self-ordering kiosks at fast food and sit-down restaurants, self-service screening allows passengers in the Trusted Traveler Program to complete the security screening process on their own,” said Screening at Speed Program Manager Dr. John Fortune.Â
The Screening at Speed team and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which are partnering with the Department of Homeland Security, are giving the public a virtual reality walkthrough of the self-screening system at CES in Las Vegas this week. Here’s how it works.
What exactly is a self-service screening checkpoint?
The self-service screening pods are for TSA PreCheck passengers to use as individual screening consoles. They come equipped with a carry-on screening system to check bags for any prohibited items — for instance, weapons or liquids exceeding the maximum ounce capacity. It also has a panel that screens the passenger. If you need assistance, there’s a button to press to ask a TSO for help.
The self-service checkpoint serves as an alternative to going through TSA checkpoints, which typically requires a full body scan with your arms up while your carry-on items go through a separate screening checkpoint. And if there’s an issue found, TSA will either have to search you or your bags. That’s not the case with the self-service screening checkpoints.
How does the self-screening process work?
When a passenger steps inside the screening pod, they’ll show…
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