Is self-service security screening the wave of the future?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is set to test a self-service screening system at Harry Reid International Airport, challenging the trend of major retailers scaling back on self-checkout options. Beginning in mid-March, TSA PreCheck passengers at LAS will be the first to experience the prototype, featuring a video monitor providing step-by-step instructions for self-paced screening.

Upon completion of the screening process, automated exit doors open, allowing travelers to collect their belongings and proceed to their flights. While minimal assistance is offered by Transportation Security Officers (TSOs), they will be available as needed. The TSA plans to assess the results before considering potential deployment to other checkpoint lanes or airports.

The self-service screening lanes will still involve TSOs who perform bag and personal item scans, clarifies R. Carter Langston, TSA press secretary. The move comes as TSA copes with an uptick in passenger screenings, having processed 143 million individuals at checkpoints this year, up 6% from the same period last year.

During the holiday travel period, TSA screened 106 million passengers, a 10% increase from the previous year and 2% higher than 2019 figures. Notably, a record 6,737 firearms, 93% loaded, were seized at TSA checkpoints in 2023.

The trial aims to explore innovative screening solutions to accommodate the rising number of airline passengers, enhancing security and travel efficiency, according to Dimitri Kusnezov, the Department of Homeland Security undersecretary for science and technology.

Source: CNN