News

Transportation Security agency testing 'Registered Traveler Initiative' this summer

April 26, 2004

The Transportation Security Administration is going high-tech this summer via a three-month test of the "Registered Traveler Initiative," according to an article in Business Traveler News.

The test will take place at three to five airports and encompass 5,000 to 10,000 enrollees. They will carry government-issued cards or tokens embedded with their biometric data. This voluntary program would allow travelers who agree to background checks and security assessments to avoid secondary screening. As compensation, these travelers could actually speed up their check-in process.

Business Travel News has identified several potential contractors for this test project. They include Electronic Data Systems, IBM, Unisys and CAPPS II's planned corporate partner, Lockheed Martin Management and Data Systems

These or other large IT firms may farm out work to small biometrics specialists, as they have in similar programs underway in Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and South Korea.

Sequiam Biometrics and G&T Conveyor Co., a baggage handling systems company, said recently that they made a joint bid on TSA's program.

Japanese airlines have done significant testing of similar programs.

"Participants have their facial and iris details recorded in a card they insert in iris-checking machines at security and boarding gates," according to a statement by Japan Air Lines, who has been testing the program since January, 2003.