TSA checkpoints are about to get far more environment friendly at dozens of US airports—simply in time for the summer time journey rush.
This spring, TSA is increasing its Touchless ID program to each regional and main air journey hubs throughout the US. The particular safety lanes use elective facial recognition technology to confirm vacationers’ identities earlier than they enter the safety screening space, eliminating the necessity to present a bodily ID or boarding go. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United all take part in this system.
Passengers who’re enrolled in this system have entry to a particular Touchless ID lane on the TSA checkpoint. When it’s their flip, fliers merely step up to the kiosk the place the TSA officer is, pause for a second to have a look at the digicam, and proceed by to the screening space after a optimistic facial scan end result. On common the method takes 10 seconds or much less, making it a seamless possibility for vacationers in a rush.
Here’s all the pieces vacationers want to find out about TSA’s roll-out of the brand new know-how, together with how to choose in along with your airline.
Which US airports use Touchless ID?
Touchless ID is a associate program between TSA and US airways, and it’s at the moment obtainable at 15 US airports. So far, this system is at the moment obtainable on the following places:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Washington, DC (DCA)
- Denver (DEN)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
- Detroit (DTW)
- Newark (EWR)
- New York-JFK
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- New York LaGuardia (LGA)
- Chicago (ORD)
- Portland (PDX)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle (SEA)
- Salt Lake City (SLC).
With its new growth, TSA will convey the know-how to 50 new airports, together with each massive hubs and smaller, regional services. The company is prioritizing the next airports to be among the many first to be added to this system in spring 2026, a TSA spokesperson confirmed with Condé Nast Traveler.
- Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
- Houston Hobby (HOU), Washington Dulles (IAD)
- Boston (BOS)
- Palm Beach (PBI)
- Miami (MIA)
- Orange County, California (SNA)
- Dallas Love Field (DAL)
- Kansas City (MCI)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- San Jose, California (SJC)
- Sacramento (SMF)
- Anchorage (ANC)
- Baltimore (BWI)
- (*50*) (MCO)
- Long Beach, California (LGB).
After the preliminary growth to these 15 airports is accomplished, the know-how will likely be added to 35 extra airports across the nation by the tip of the spring, TSA says.
Who can use Touchless ID?
Touchless ID lanes are reserved for vacationers with TSA PreCheck who’re flying with American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Southwest, or United from collaborating airports.
In order to be eligible, vacationers will need to have a TSA PreCheck membership, be enrolled of their airways’ frequent flier program, and have a sound passport connected to their frequent flier profile. Passengers can then choose in to Touchless ID by their airline frequent flier profile. Travelers who choose in, meet the entire standards, and are touring by an airport outfitted with Touchless ID lanes could have a “Touchless ID” designator routinely added to their cell boarding go, giving them entry to this system’s lane.
All vacationers ought to nonetheless convey a bodily, Real ID-approved type of identification with them to the airport in case the know-how experiences a glitch or is just not obtainable on return or connecting flights.
It’s vital to notice that this system is totally elective for vacationers. Passengers selecting not to use facial recognition know-how can proceed by the standard TSA PreCheck lane and current their bodily ID to the TSA officer.
According to the TSA web site, photos collected through the facial recognition course of “are not used for law enforcement, surveillance, nor shared with other entities,” the agency says. “Your photo and personal data are deleted within 24-hours of your scheduled flight departure. Find out more at TSA and DHS Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs).”