The Transportation Security Administration has announced
that it started a pilot program for a biometric passenger-
screening checkpoint at Minneapolis-St. Paul International
Airport in conjunction with Northwest Airlines, which
invited its “platinum elite” customers to partake in the
pilot.
The “registered traveler pilot program” is intended to speed
up the screening process by allowing “trusted” travelers to
use a designated checkpoint where they verify their identity
with a finger or iris scan and go through a primary
screening with their carry on bags, by-passing lengthier
secondary screening.
Passengers apply for “trusted” status by supplying TSA with
personal information that is used to conduct a security
assessment, including analysis of law enforcement and
intelligence data sources and a check of outstanding criminal
warrants, said TSA, something that has raised concerns
among privacy advocates as how the information might be
used, or that it could be the first stage in establishing a
categorized risk-rating system for all travelers.
It said the pilots will be expanded to four other airports
this summer where they will last 90 days each: Los Angeles
International in coordination with United Airlines in
mid-July; George Bush Intercontinental in Houston with
Continental Airlines in early August; and Boston Logan
International and Ronald Reagan Washington National, both
with American Airlines by the end of August.
