LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas has been selected to participate in a TSA self-screening pilot program beginning in January 2024.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the “Screening at Speed” program is part of an effort to “increase screening efficiency and improve the passenger experience while keeping a stable number of Transportation Security Officers (TSOs).” The new program being tested allows passengers to complete the screening process “with minimal to no assistance from TSOs,” according to DHS.
“Like self-ordering kiosks at fast food and sit-down restaurants, self-service screening allows passengers in the Trusted Traveler Program to complete the security screening process on their own,” said Screening at Speed Program Manager Dr. John Fortune. “Travelers will use passenger and carry-on screening systems at individual consoles or screening lanes themselves, reducing the number of pat-downs and bag inspections TSOs need to perform and freeing their time to be reallocated to the busier aspects of screening operations. The feedback we’ve already received during testing from both mock passengers and TSOs has been incredibly positive.”
“The passenger self-service screening technology aims to keep travelers and TSOs safer by minimizing person-to-person contact, reducing the number of bags TSOs have to pick up and move around and allowing passengers to proceed at their own pace.”
Dr. John Fortune, Screening at Speed Program Manager
Screening at Speed is also funding video analytics companies to prompt passengers through each screening step to ensure they hold the proper pose, empty their pockets, and confirm they have successfully been screened.
In January, PreCheck travelers will get their first chance to use the self-service screening prototype at Harry Reid International Airport. TSOs from the airport have already been trained at the TSIF on how to operate the system and help travelers navigate the self-service screening process.
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