According to a news release, the TSA plans to expand digital identification technologies to look at carry-on bags and traveler identification through the use of cameras.
The details
New computer tomography scanners, or CT scanners, will be coming to airports in Atlanta, Denver, Orlando and Boston this year. Next year, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, as well as Los Angeles, Nashville and Seattle, will be added to the program, according to a news release.
According to TSA, the CT scanners will generate 3D images of carry-on bags, allowing officers to conduct digital rotational inspections while artificial intelligence identifies potential threats. The system enables passengers to keep laptops and liquids in their bags during screening unless specifically directed otherwise.
The automated screen lanes were installed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in 2024. The impact of the new CT scanners includes:
- Four divesting countertops per lane are designed specifically to enable up to four passengers to place their items in bins simultaneously
- Automated and powered conveyor rollers that move bins into the X-ray machine tunnel and then feed the bins back to the front of the security checkpoint
- Bins that are 25% larger than a typical bin and can hold a carry-on suitcase
- Cameras capture digital images of the contents of each bin and are linked side-by-side to the X-ray image of a carry-on bag’s contents to easily match a bag to its X-ray image
What else?
TSA deployed Credential Authentication Technology, or CAT, terminals at Denver International Airport in 2022, allowing a machine called CAT-2 to capture the traveler’s face image and compare it to their photo ID, thereby verifying the traveler’s identity and negating the need for the traveler to present a boarding pass, according to a news release.
TSA announced Aug. 19 it will partner with Clear Secure Inc., for new electronic gates to help expedite ID verification in select airports, according to a news release. It will match travelers’ live facial images against secure flight databases and identity documents, while maintaining an opt-out option for those preferring traditional ID verification.
“eGates accomplish several objectives toward achieving Secretary [Kristi] Noem’s goal to enhance TSA security and hospitality,” TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said in a news release. “This includes creating a seamless, less invasive traveler experience and shorter wait times at TSA security checkpoints. We look forward to rolling out additional eGate systems as we work to implement President Trump’s vision for a new Golden Age of American Travel.”
eGates debuted at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in August, with planned rollouts at Ronald Reagan National Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in September, according to a news release.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol currently has facial comparison technology at 238 airports. According to its website, the technology is available for the entry of passengers into Dallas Love Field and for entry and exit at DFW Airport.
Also of note
American Airlines will implement a system called One Stop Security that will allow customers to proceed to connecting flights without having to reclaim and recheck bags or go through TSA again, according to previous reporting.
For now, this system is in place for customers traveling from London Heathrow Airport and connecting through DFW Airport to clear U.S. Customs right at the arrival gate, according to the release.
American Airlines "plans to explore opportunities to expand OSS to additional flights and U.S. airports in the future, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and delivering a more efficient, customer-friendly global travel experience," the release states.
