The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has installed new technology at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport that confirms the validity of a traveler’s identification and confirms their flight information in real time. The new units match the face of the person at the checkpoint with the face on their ID.
This deployment is the latest generation of credential authentication technology (CAT) to verify the identity of travelers. First-generation CAT units are designed to scan a traveler’s photo identification and confirm the traveler’s identity as well as their flight details. The new CAT units, referred to as CAT-2, have the same capabilities, but are also equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of the traveler.
Contactless passenger verification
CAT-2 compares the traveler’s photo on the ID against the in-person, real-time photo. Once the CAT-2 confirms the match, a TSA officer verifies and the traveler can proceed through the checkpoint, without ever exchanging a boarding pass. Photos are not saved and are used only to match the person standing at the travel document checking podium with the photo on the ID that is being presented.
The system also confirms the passenger’s flight status by verifying that the individual is ticketed to fly out of an airport on that same day. TSA reminds travelers that they still need to check-in with their airline in advance and bring their boarding pass to their gate to show the airline representative before boarding their flight.
CAT-2 units can authenticate many different types of IDs including passports, military common access cards, Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler ID cards, uniformed services ID cards, permanent resident cards, US visas and driver’s licenses and photo IDs issued by state motor vehicle departments.
In related news, Clear recently opened six new TSA PreCheck enrollment locations. Click here to read the full story.