Clear partnering with TSA, unveils new biometric 'e-gates' at 3 major airports
The security screening company Clear is officially unveiling new biometric e-gates at three new U.S. airports Tuesday in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration.
TPG got an exclusive first look at the new gates in action at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) during the testing phase earlier this year, which also included Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina. Now, these gates are going into official service at these airports, plus three other major airports: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
The new gates are already in place at ATL, debut next week at DCA and the week of Aug. 31 at SEA.
"We are proud to help make America's airports great ahead of the World Cup," Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said. "The U.S. should be leading on security, hospitality, and the travel experience."
Clear says that the new e-gates should "help America's airports prepare for a huge influx of air travelers expected for the 2026 World Cup, plus the 'America 250' celebrations and the general, ongoing uptick in domestic travel."
If you have a membership in the expedited security program Clear Plus, you will be able to use the new gates at any of these airports.
The e-gates, in cooperation with the TSA's security system, will verify travelers' identities and security screening statuses in real time. This means travelers will no longer stop at a TSA podium and will instead go straight to physical screening after their identity is confirmed at the e-gate.
The TSA retains complete operational control: triggering gate access, conducting security vetting and enforcing government security requirements.
Eventually, these futuristic-looking gates will be able to scan passengers fully via biometrics, further automating the screening process. For now, they provide a shortcut to the luggage screening process in most cases.
When I tested the gates, I was able to scan my boarding pass and wait for a green light to go on and the glass doors to open. Then, I underwent biometric verification using my eyes.
In the new gates, travelers will be able to simply step toward the gates, which conduct real-time biometric verification, matching a traveler's face to their ID and boarding pass.
Clear and TSA agents will be there to assist passengers.
I also saw prototype e-gates at Clear's New York City headquarters. I learned that if someone doesn't have access (or a membership) via Clear or if there is a security issue, the gates can flag the issue to Clear or other airport employees.
"This is a major leap forward in modernizing and streamlining airport checkpoints, at zero cost to taxpayers," a spokesperson for Clear said.
The pilot program will launch at three more airports this month and expand to at least 30 more in the next year or so.
"With more than 20 million international visitors expected to fly to the U.S. for the tournament — and domestic travel surging through U.S. host cities — checkpoint infrastructure will face unprecedented pressure," Clear said in a statement.
I'm looking forward to seeing this high-tech feature at more airports.
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