The federal government is testing new technology to allow some passengers to use their fingerprints to verify their identities for boarding passes and other important documents.
The Transportation Security Administration has begun testing new technology that allows pre-screened passengers to use biometric data to verify their identities, the agency said Tuesday.
The checkpoint screening technology is being used at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport and Denver International Airport starting this week.
According to the agency, a traveler’s fingerprints will serve as their identity document and boarding pass. The screening technology matches a person’s fingerprints at the checkpoint to those given to TSA during the application process for the pre-check program.
“TSA looks at technologies and intelligence capabilities that allow us to analyze and secure the travel environment, passengers and their property,” said Steve Karoly, acting assistant administrator of TSA’s Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis, in a statement.
“Through these and other technology demonstrations, we are looking to reinvent and enhance security effectiveness to meet the evolving threat and ensure that passengers get to their destinations safely.”
The technology has the potential to automate the travel document checking process in the future since travelers wouldn’t need to present boarding passes and identity documents to agents at the screening checkpoint, TSA said.
