Self-service TSA ID checks underway at Charlotte airport
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Charlotte Douglas International Airport's new e-gates. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
The Transportation Security Administration has rolled out eight self-service electronic gates for TSA PreCheck passengers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Why it matters: The new automated gates are estimated to save about three seconds per passenger, TSA federal security director Greg Hawko told reporters Wednesday. While that may not sound like a lot, it adds up over the course of the day.
How it works: The new electronic gates, or e-gates, are located at CLT's Checkpoint 2, where standard TSA PreCheck screening takes place.
- Rather than handing a TSA agent your ID or providing proof of your plane ticket, you scan your REAL ID (such as your passport, ID card or digital ID).
- The technology confirms your boarding pass, that you have TSA PreCheck, and that your ID is valid, and it matches your photo to the one you uploaded into the system. Once everything is confirmed, you proceed through the gates to screening.
Between the lines: CLT requested the e-gate technology, according to a TSA spokesperson. In the fall, the airport completed a $608 million terminal lobby expansion, which included upgrading its checkpoints.
- Using automated gates allows for a faster screening process without having to build new security lanes.
- TSA agents are overseeing the gates and assisting passengers. E-gates have been implemented in varying ways across the country over the last 11 months. The gates were introduced in Charlotte in May.
By the numbers: About 35,000 travelers are screened daily at CLT, including passengers with TSA PreCheck and those without.
What we're watching: Workers aren't losing their jobs because of the automation, according to a TSA spokesperson. Instead, agents can be reallocated to other parts of the screening process.