Air travel might’ve just gotten a little smoother with the rollout of brand new biometric eGates at the Hartsfield-Jackson International airport. According to a report from Axios, CLEAR and the TSA are piloting biometric ‘eGates’ at three major U.S. airports, including Atlanta, ahead of a nationwide rollout, CLEAR says.
How do the new biometric eGates work?
Airport travelers will step into an eGate, as if it were regular security at the airport. The eGate then conducts real-time biometric verification, which means it will match the traveler’s face to their ID and boarding pass. Once the travelers is cleared and verified, they can move directly to screening and bypass the TSA podium at the airport entirely.
Axios clarifies, “TSA keeps full operational control of the eGate, from triggering gate access to vetting security, CLEAR said.”
CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker told said, in an interview with Axios,
It’s fully integrated. It’s one step. And the total transaction time should be between three and six seconds.
Who gets to use the new CLEAR biometric eGates?
Currently, only CLEAR+ members can use the opt-in eGates program at the airport.
Why now?
The City of Atlanta is gearing up for the World Cup in 2026, and a smoother air travel experience is just part of the city’s plan to get ready for a massive influx of visitors. As millions of international visitors are expected for the World Cup, Atlanta wants to make sure everything in the city is in tip-top shape, especially when it comes to getting into the city smoothly and safely.
When will the new biometric eGates be in use?
The current plan is to begin the pilot program this week in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), next week at Reagan National (DCA) and the week of Aug. 31 at Seattle-Tacoma (SEA).
Seidman-Becker says,
Our expectation is to roll this out nationwide and so that by the time the World Cup comes around next summer our airports are competing and leading with the airports around the world.
The company also notes that CLEAR is funding this rollout at no cost to taxpayers.
Check ’em out next time you’re at the airport, Atlanta! We’d love to know what you think about the new CLEAR eGates.