The 90-day pilot test of the Transportation Security Administration's registered traveler initiative
(BTN, April 26) will begin early next month in Minneapolis in partnership with Unisys Corp. and Northwest Airlines, TSA announced today. Unisys also will launch such tests in Los Angeles with United Airlines in late July and in Houston with Continental Airlines the following month. By the end of August, TSA said, it intends to activate the program at Boston Logan and Washington National airports with the help of EDS and American Airlines. Six-month contracts were signed with EDS and Unisys for "initial" values of $1.31 million and $2.47 million, respectively.
According to a statement prepared by retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral David Stone, who is serving as acting TSA administrator, "TSA approached this pilot with the firm idea that security could not and would not be compromised and we believe that this pilot program will provide frequent travelers with the means to expedite the screening experience without compromising on security."
According to TSA, "participating air carriers will solicit participation in the program from frequent flyers who travel at least once a week. Each volunteer will provide to TSA information including his or her name, address, phone number and date of birth, along with a biometric imprint including finger and iris. TSA will then perform a security assessment of each volunteer that will include analysis of law enforcement and intelligence data sources and a check of outstanding criminal warrants. Once approved, the volunteer will be considered enrolled in the pilot program. Passengers will not be charged an enrollment fee during the pilot phase."
Participants would benefit by largely avoiding secondary screening, which is required of a small percentage of travelers and takes up to five minutes. The bigger benefit, however, would be in expedited registered traveler lines leading up to the primary security checkpoints after participants pass through biometric scanning. A handful of carriers, including Continental at Houston and United at Los Angeles, already have similar special lines for top customers. According to the TSA official, having such infrastructure in place "would facilitate things," but an airline spokesperson said that dedicating such lines is easier done in some airports than in others. It's easiest when one airline runs an entire concourse, such that the security screening being done there involves only that airline's passengers. Such lines have not proliferated where there are multiple airlines behind a single screening point.
Northwest issued a statement indicating it is pleased to be the first participating airline. "We would like to see the test generate the sort of passenger volume needed to ensure success and show that security can be assured while easing the airport security process," Northwest said, noting that it will seek volunteers among its roster of frequent flyers.
Both the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and the National Business Travel Association have offered to provide volunteers. NBTA today expressed its support for the plan, claiming it "would enhance security and expedite the screening process. NBTA advocates security measures that enable security screeners to focus efforts more effectively on travelers who pose a potential risk. Such focused efforts would bolster security, speed the screening process and reduce screening costs."
Critics have argued that such a system actually would create a loophole that could be exploited by terrorists
(BTN, March 29).