Lehigh Valley International Airport is now equipped with new devices that will be limiting wait time for TSA security checks and will also maintain airport security. This airport, which is situated outside of Philadelphia, is getting this new technology where the passengers’ faces will be scanned and compared against their ID at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint and all of this will be happening in real time.
As reported by The Mirror US, “The technology also confirms a passenger has a REAL ID-compliant card, which will soon be required for those wanting to fly domestically. Starting May 7, passengers must have REAL IDs or other forms of compliant identification, like a passport, to get on a flight or enter a government building.”
These new devices at the Lehigh Valley International Airport are the latest generation of Credential Authentication Technology (CAT), as mentioned in a TSA press release. In the press release, Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Pennsylvania and Delaware mentioned, “Identity verification of every traveler prior to flying is a key step in the security screening process.”
He further added, “This technology enhances detection capabilities for identifying fraudulent IDs such as driver’s licenses and passports at a checkpoint and it increases efficiency by automatically verifying a passenger’s identification. We just want to ensure that you are who you say you are.”
It should be noted here that the first generation of CAT were designed for scanning a passenger’s photo identification and also to confirm their identity and flight status. The new CAT units, which are being referred to as CAT-2 contain similar abilities along with the added benefit of capturing a passenger’s picture in real time.
CAT-2 then compares this real time picture with the passenger’s photo on their ID and once it confirms the two pictures as a match, a TSA officer verifies and clears the passenger through the checkpoint.
The main goal behind the implementation of CAT-2 is to reduce the waiting time in TSA lines and move more swiftly while not compromising on safety. With CAT-2 on work, passengers will not have to show their boarding passes to the TSA agents and the whole process of getting a clearance at the checkpoint would be smoother.
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In the previously mentioned press release, Gerardo Spero further added, “This latest technology helps ensure that we know who is boarding flights. Credential authentication plays an important role in passenger identity verification. It improves a TSA officer’s ability to validate a traveler’s photo identification while also identifying any inconsistencies associated with fraudulent travel documents.”
With such high praises for CAT-2, it now remains to be seen if the passengers boarding the flights indeed feel that this enhancement has added to their ease during traveling.
