TSA Targets June For Registered Traveler Test

Frequent flyers who consent to background checks will be allowed to skip some undetermined security requirements at a handful of airports that beginning in June will enter a three-month pilot of the Transportation Security Administration's registered traveler program.

Although some press reports last week indicated the names of five specific airports as test sites, a TSA spokesperson today said those sites remain undetermined. As a means to authenticate the identity of participants, she said, "We're exploring any number of technological solutions, including biometrics. During the pilot, we'll be testing a number of concepts and will make any necessary adjustments. The program will be voluntary and how it's rolled out is to be determined."

TSA's acting administrator David Stone last week told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's subcommittee on aviation that the registered traveler program is a "high priority with us and one we're eager to move forward with."