TSA Introducing New Screening Technology at Honolulu Airport

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is not only experimenting with new machines that will help speed up the efficiency of security lines at airports but also enhance the identification process.

The TSA has been using new technology at select airports, including Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), since mid-May.

The new machines are known as Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2). They can compare the facial features of a traveler with the identification he or she presents. They also can scan mobile IDs, which are available in five states. There might come a time when you have to produce one less piece of identification, including your boarding pass.

TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers at HNL said the airport has already been using the original CAT system. The new technology is being tested at a total of 25 airports across the country.

“It’s controversial because some people don’t like facial matching technologies,” Dankers told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “TSA is testing this technology and we continue to evaluate it. But we want people to know…that the images are never stored. There is no database of people who are coming to travel today.”

Participation during the test by the TSA is completely voluntary. The TSA is also having its agents screen carry-on bags. Passengers will still have to put their hand-held luggage through a conveyor belt, but the new 3D technology allows TSA agents to scan the image of the contents of the bag without physically having to open it up.

The more accurate 3D screening process is sometimes slower, Dankers admits but can eliminate delays brought on when travelers are flagged for additional screening.