Barely making it to your gate at the airport — or even missing your flight — due to long lines at security checkpoints could soon become a thing of the past. Here’s why: The Transportation Security Administration is testing a new self-service system that could let you complete the screening process on your own.
The Screening at Speed team and the 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 2024 in Las Vegas this week.
The idea is to reduce the number of pat-downs and bag inspections performed by transportation security officers to free them up for busier parts of screening operations. It also lets you move through checkpoints at your own pace without feeling rushed.
“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 John Fortune, Screening at Speed program manager.
Here’s how it works.
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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 transportation security officer 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.
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