TSA self-screening is the next big step for airport security

In January, select passengers at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas will begin testing a new self-service screening system from the Transportation Security Administration. The setup will resemble a supermarket self-checkout, with travelers scanning their identification and carry-on bags instead of arugula and toilet paper.

“The ultimate goal of this is that it is all one-stop,” said Jeffrey C. Price, a professor of aviation and aerospace at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “You go in and you show your ID. It scans you, it scans your bags, you leave your little kiosk and off you go to the plane.”

An article about self-service screening published on the Department of Homeland Security’s website said the pilot program will start at the Las Vegas airport next month. TSA declined to share specifics about the system, and a representative for DHS did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the article, passengers with PreCheck will assume several responsibilities typically handled by TSA officers, such as checking their IDs and inspecting their bags for prohibited items.

John Fortune, program manager for the Screening at Speed program in the DHS Science and Technology Directorate, said in the article that self-screening will allow passengers to set their own pace at the checkpoint. Fortune said the system will also reduce the frequency of pat-downs and manual bag checks, freeing up officers for other security needs.

“A lot of these technologies allow the passenger to be more in control of their own journey through the checkpoint and be more self-sufficient without necessarily having to interact with an officer,” said T.J. Schulz, president of the Airport Consultants Council, an association that represents airport development companies. “This continues a trend of allowing the passenger to be self-reliant through the checkpoint and is very much in alignment with the whole airline travel passenger experience.”

Ha McNeill, a former TSA chief of staff who was involved in research-and-development projects, said in an interview with The Washington Post that self-service screening will combine several technologies.

According to McNeill, the bag inspection portion will feature the automated screening lane system developed by Vanderlande Industries Inc.; the DHS article noted that TSA tested the automated lanes in March at a facility near Reagan National Airport. It will also utilize the computed tomography (CT) machines that airports have been installing at a steady clip since 2019. The machine’s 3D imaging displays a vivid view of a bag’s interior, so passengers can leave their electronics and liquids in their carry-ons. TSA told The Post it plans to install CT scanners in roughly 2,500 checkpoint lanes by about 2040.

For the body scan, McNeill said the passenger will pass through an e-gate. She added that the panel detector system will allow travelers to keep their arms by their side instead of raising them up high, as the current model instructs. The setup is forgiving to folks who forget to empty their pockets.

“As you walk up, you don’t need to have a human say, ‘Come on in,’” said McNeill, now executive vice president of commercial solutions at Pangiam, a technology provider for the aviation industry. “The e-gate opens and the machine screens your body. If there is something you have forgotten to divest - let’s say you forgot your car keys in your pocket - then the back gate doesn’t open. It tells you to go back and take it out of your pocket and then come back in.”

Security has evolved since the Sept. 11 attacks changed air travel. Over the years, TSA has incorporated new technologies intended to bolster security while streamlining the process. At many airports, officers only need to check IDs and not boarding passes.

Biometrics are also gaining a foothold. Delta, for one, has been deploying a facial recognition program called Delta Digital ID at select airports, including Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles and LaGuardia and JFK in New York City. Instead of pulling out documents, members of the airline’s SkyMiles loyalty program can simply look into the camera for bag drop and security.

“You don’t have to pull out your ID or your boarding pass. You have opted in to use your face, and so it gives passengers that facilitation option if they want to choose it.” said McNeill, whose company, Pangiam, developed the technology for the airline.

Price said seasoned travelers will easily adopt the new technologies, but novices might not be as quick to catch on. He said their confusion could slow the flow by requiring officers to step in to explain the process. From his experience, he said instructive videos, such as the ones that demonstrate the liquid and electronics rule, don’t really sink in. People prefer an in-person tutorial.

“There’s going to be a massive learning curve with this, except it’s not just going to be a learning curve with the screener personnel,” he said. “It’s going to be a learning curve with all the passengers.”

Schulz said funding could be a stumbling block as well. Technology is expensive. In April, TSA announced plans to procure three orders for CT scanners for $1.3 billion. In 2021, it designated $198 million for the equipment; the following year, it earmarked $781 million.

“The big challenge for TSA is money,” Schulz said. “They just don’t have the money to fully develop and deploy these advanced technologies.”

TSA will initially roll out self-service scanning in a few lanes at the Vegas airport, a test site for many TSA innovations. McNeil said she expects its debut will coincide with the Consumer Technology Association’s CES convention in Vegas. The annual gathering, which attracted more than 115,000 guests last year, has events scheduled from Jan. 7 to Jan. 12.