Self-serve airport screening starts in Vegas
PHOENIX – Imagine this: You make your way through the airport security line, send your bags through the scanner, empty your pockets and go through a body scanner – all with little to no interaction with a federal Transportation Security Administration agent.
Airport security that resembles a self-checkout lane in a grocery store could be a reality in the not-too-distant future. It depends on the results of the TSA’s six-month trial run of self-serve security screening pods.
The TSA, collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, just launched the self-service security screening system at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
The self-service TSA lanes allow passengers to go through security with minimal engagement with a TSA agent. Only travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck can use the self-serve security lanes.
TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement the agency sees a need for innovative screening options that make going through airport security as smooth as possible for travelers while maintaining public safety.
Growing passenger traffic has sparked the need for solutions. From Jan. 1 to March 5, the TSA screened between 1.6 million and 2.8 million passengers each day nationwide. During that period, TSA screened a greater number of passengers compared with 2022 on all but three days.
“This self-service prototype allows our trusted travelers to complete the screening process at their own pace,” Pekoske said. “Testing at the Innovation Checkpoint in Las Vegas gives us an opportunity to collect valuable user data and insights, and explore opportunities to apply parts of the prototype to other airport security checkpoints.”
The test started on Wednesday and is expected to last six months.
Video monitors give step-by-step instructions for completing the screening. Nothing you’re used to doing when going through security has changed. You still need to put your bag through the scanner, empty your pockets and get scanned yourself.