Delta and TSA Test Faster, Less Annoying Security Process
What goes around, comes around, and the adage seemingly applies to procedures related to airport security as well. While any savvy traveler should already have Global Entry and TSA PreCheck — ideally via a credit card that reimburses the application fee — there are still those who do not. Delta is working with the Transportation Security Administration to make the lives of those in the ordinary security line a lot better, starting with a test at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport's Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal.
Two new security lanes are now open, which aim to mimic the days of yesteryear when you weren't required to do things like remove your laptop and place it in a separate bin. If you're traveling through ATL Terminal F, look for a lane with a dual-tray loading system and massive computed tomography (CT) scanners that allow travelers to keep electronics in their carry-on bags.
The new tray loaders relieve the usual headaches of people never quite knowing when it's their turn to shove their bin forward. Thanks to green lights that glow when it's your turn, passengers will wonder less and have a more efficient experience. They also auto-induct in the order they were placed on the belt. To boot, the fully automated bin return stacks bins so you don't have to, scanning each bin before it's stacked to make sure a customer hasn't left any personal belongings behind.
The new CT scanners allow passengers to leave laptops and other electronics in their bags.
There's no word on when the system will expand to more terminals and airports, but we're hoping it becomes the new norm sooner rather than later. This new technology follows Delta's implementation of biometric boarding at Atlanta's international terminal, which I experienced when it opened last year.
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