U.S. Expands Airport Special Lanes Program

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The TSA is expanding its PreCheck screening program to passengers on international airlines. Air Canada is the first international carrier to join the list of PreCheck carriers, which includes Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, U.S. Airways, and Virgin America.

Passengers in PreCheck lanes can pass through standard metal detectors, not the full-body scanner, during security checks, with their shoes, belt, and light jackets on. They also are allowed to keep liquids and laptops in their bags. According to HLS News Wire PreCheck was launched in October 2011 at four airports. It is now available in 118 of the 450 U.S. commercial airports.

Some international airlines are reluctant to join the PreCheck carrier list because it entails upgrading their computer systems to print a PreCheck logo and embed PreCheck data in their boarding pass barcodes. With Air Canada joining the list, the TSA believes other foreign carriers with a large U.S. passenger base would benefit if they offered PreCheck status to their customers.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Asked wheter travelers believe the PreCheck option contributes to safer air travel, Christie Kruchten, a travel consultant with TLG, told HLS News Wire that “I do not necessarily think my clients believe it contributes to safer air travel, but they do find it is very convenient and lessens the amount of time to get through the security process. That is of great importance to my clientele.”

Israeli experts told I-HLS that they will have to learn the details of the system before they can judge “in the meantime we believe in the existing methods we have been using” one of then said.