AviationTSA to promote PreCheck program for travelers
In an effort to make airport security lines shorter and move faster, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will allow passengers to apply for expedited airport screenings. TSA says the plan is for 25 percent of U.S. travelers to be eligible for the system by the end of this year, and 50 percent by 2014.
In an effort to make airport security lines shorter and move faster, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will allow passengers to apply for expedited airport screenings.
Bloombergreports that U.S. air travelers will now be able to apply for the PreCheck system at airports and online for access to speedier lanes. Previously, only frequent fliers who were nominated by airlines or enrolled through U.S. Customs programs were allowed to use PreCheck. Now, the TSA is targeting travelers who do not have passports and rarely fly.
Forty U.S. Airports and six airlines currently participate in the PreCheck system.
TSA administrator John Pistole says the plan is for 25 percent of U.S. travelers to be eligible for the system by the end of this year, and 50 percent by 2014. Pistole added that the agency currently does not have the capability to do PreCheck background check in large volumes, and that the agency is evaluating proposals from companies to manage a private screening program.
“This initiative will increase the number of U.S. citizens eligible to receive expedited screening, through TSA PreCheck,” Pistole said in a statement. “PreCheck enables us to focus on the travelers we know the least about, adding efficiency and effectiveness to the screening process.”
To become eligible for the PreCheck system, a traveler needs a passport and a personal interview at an international airport where they will provide personal information including date of birth, address, height, weight, and other information.
The TSA plans on charging $85 for a five-year membership in the program.
Pistole also said that the TSA will use the same programs which provide background checks on truck drivers and port workers. Once a traveler is approved for the program, they will be given a PreCheck number to give an airline when making a reservation.
“PreCheck is becoming a more accessible program for everyday travelers,” Erik Hansen, director of domestic policy for the U.S. Travel Association, a Washington-based trade group, told Bloomberg. “That’s what the travel industry has always hoped it would be.”
