TRAVELERS in more than a dozen US states can now use a free mobile app to fly across the country.
The move is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing plan to cut waiting time for passengers at airports.
In the latest scheme, a mobile driver’s license or ID pass stored in a phone’s digital wallet or in a third party app will be accepted at more than 250 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints.
Arkansas has become the latest state to join the scheme.
It is being pioneered in conjunction with biometric facial recognition, with 14 airports and four airlines participating in the TSA project.
These include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
Denver International Airport (DEN) is the latest airport to join the PreCheck Touchless ID program.
State officials said an Arkansas Mobile ID can be used at the TSA checkpoints instead of a physical license or ID.
The mobile ID can also be shown instead of a boarding pass.
Important note
The state joins 15 others in recognising digital ID with travelers no longer required to produce physical identification.
It is important to note, however, that all passengers must still carry an acceptable compliant physical ID for verification.
The other states participating in the mobile app project include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland and New Mexico.
New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia are also piloting the scheme.
The accepting of digital ID comes as Kristi Noem, Donal Trump’s homeland security adviser, vows to make traveling in the US easier.
She said at a recent press conference that her “goal would be that someday someone could walk into an airport, walk through a scanner and go right to their airplane”.
In another travel update, liquids following TSA’s 3-1-1 rule can now stay in passengers’ bags.
Noem has phased out the rule for all travelers at airports.
“This initiative is just one of many the Trump Administration is pursuing to usher in the President’s vision for a new Golden Age of American travel,” she said.
A new security line has also been announced for families.
This policy is known as Families on the Fly and these are reserved for parents with small children and military personnel.
The measure is now being trialled at major airports such as Orlando.
Further changes
Noem has also teased that further security changes could be on the way.
TSA outlined the new biometric program in an explanatory video posted on its website.
As first reported by Aviation Week, TSA explained there is “no need to show physical ID or a boarding pass. Just your face gets you through.”
In the video, passengers are told that instead of using a physical ID – such as a passport or driver’s license – their faces are photographed by TSA using biometric cameras.
Full list of airports taking part in the TSA’s biometric facial recognition scheme
Here is the full list of airports in the US which are taking part in the TSA’s PreCheck Touchless ID program.
- Atlanta
- Chicago O’Hare
- Dallas Fort Worth
- DEN
- Detroit
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Newark
- New York LaGuardia,
- Portland
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Salt Lake City
- Reagan Washington National
It is important to note that passengers must carry a physical ID as a backup and “present it if asked by a TSA officer,” the agency said.
TSA’s facial recognition pilot program rollout comes as the agency is making changes at airport checkpoints.
This includes no longer requiring passengers to remove shoes, while the agency is also starting to roll out dedicated lanes for families traveling with children.
