US makes security check easy for air travelers with Checkpoint Evolution

29 April, 2008:

Air travelers in the United States who can prove that they do not belong on terrorist watch-lists will be now exempted from extra scrutiny under a new programme announced by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The move is a part of the Department of Homeland Security’s measures intended to strengthen aviation security even while reducing hassles for travelers.

Among the key improvements, according to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security, is providing airlines more flexibility to allow passengers to check in remotely who have been unable to do so because they have a name similar to someone on a watch list.

With the Checkpoint Evolution prototype of the DHS – which has begun full operation at Baltimore-Washington International Airport – each airline will now be able to create a system to verify and store securely a passenger’s date of birth to clear misidentifications in the watch list. By voluntarily providing this limited biographical data to an airline and verifying that information once at the ticket counter, travelers who were previously bothered on every trip will now be able to check-in online or at remote kiosks.

The new checkpoint, which includes an automated bin-return system and machines that can see through passengers’ clothing, is a part of efforts by officials of the Department of Homeland Security to make airport security more efficient and easier on customers.

The Washington Post newspaper quoted Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security Secretary, as elaborating on the Checkpoint Evolution: “Hassles due to misidentification and the resulting necessity to stand in line to check in at the ticket counter is consistently among the deepest – and most valid – complaints of the traveling public. Thousands of passengers are inconvenienced each day, and this change should provide a way to eliminate the vast majority of these situations. This is good for travelers and for security, because as we make the checkpoint environment calmer, it becomes easier to spot individuals with hostile intent.”

In addition, the Department of Homeland Security is providing greater clarity on the types of identification that will be accepted at checkpoints in the United States.

According to the Department of Homeland Security press release, starting from May 26, 2008, federal or state-issued photo ID will be accepted if it contains the following: name, date of birth, gender, expiration date, and a tamper-resistant feature. Standardising the list of accepted documents better aligns Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with other DHS components and REAL ID benchmarks. More information on acceptable documents is available on the website www.tsa.gov

These innovations, says the DHS, are a part of a broader effort “to calm the checkpoint.”

The Checkpoint Evolution prototype at Baltimore-Washington International Airport includes Millimeter Wave technology used in random continuous use, multi-view X-ray and liquid bottle scanners. These technologies, in combination with changes to the checkpoint environment and processes, will be evaluated for operational efficiency over the coming months.

Checkpoint Evolution is located at B Checkpoint of Southwest Terminal at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. The layered security elements are both modular and flexible and designed to work individually, as well as part of an integrated package, adds the Department of Homeland Security press release.