Pittsburgh Airport Added To Program To Speed TSA Security Checks

FINDLAY TOWNSHIP, PA — Some Pittsburgh International Airport travelers soon won't have to worry about pulling out their ID and putting it back in at the security checkpoint.

Pittsburgh will be among 45 airports being added to a Transportation Security Administration program called TSA PreCheck Touchless ID. It employs facial recognition and eliminates the need for physical identification at security checkpoints.

A total of 65 airports across the country soon will employ Touchless ID technology.

How does it work? Biometric cameras are used to assist with identity verification. Images are not used for law enforcement, surveillance or shared with other entities. A traveler's photo and personal data are deleted within 24-hours of their scheduled flight departure.

TSA PreCheck Touchless ID requires:

• An active airline profile with a participating airline (Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest and United.)
• Being a current TSA PreCheck traveler.
• Valid passport information uploaded to the traveler's airline profile.

According to travel media website AFAR, travelers stand in front of a kiosk that captures their image from the neck up. The technology compares biometric templates of passengers' live photos to a gallery of existing passport or visa photo templates.

To participate, the following information should be added to a traveler's airline profile:

• A Known Traveler Number (KTN)
• A valid passport number and country
• An “OPT IN” selection on the traveler's profile or at airline check-in.

The TSA PreCheck Touchless ID indicator must appear on the mobile boarding pass to enter the dedicated TSA PreCheck Touchless ID lane.

One caveat: If a passenger’s identity cannot be verified by the biometric technology at the security checkpoint, the passenger must use an acceptable physical identity document for identity verification.