New self-service TSA ID checks at some airports could help save time amid holiday travel rush
Millions of Americans are expected to travel over the Juneteenth holiday weekend, according to the Transportation Security Administration, and new airport security checkpoints at some airports could help streamline the process.
More than 3 million people are projected to pass through TSA checkpoints each day on Thursday, June 18, and Sunday, June 21, the agency said Wednesday.
Amid the travel crush, a number of U.S. airports have implemented new self-service AutoCAT eGate technology that allows passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck or Touchless ID to insert their ID or passport and walk through turnstiles to get to security screening.
The new eGates are currently being used at North Carolina's Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to TSA.
The eGates offer a process similar to the kind used by travelers at some European airports and eliminate the step of handing over an ID to a TSA officer at a counter prior to security screening.
TSA told ABC News the eGates were introduced to help speed up the verification process for travelers and that officers at the ID check stations are moved to other locations within the security checkpoint.
TSA said it will be assessing different eGate technology over the coming months and is exploring different public private partnership models for further expansion.
Eight lanes of the eGates are currently operational at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and are expected to run through July as part of ongoing testing, the airport said.
A similar expedited screening experience is already available through private programs like CLEAR, but the TSA rollout marks a wider-scale implementation of the new technology for PreCheck travelers.
