Ahead of what is expected to be one of the busiest years of air travel in the United States’ history next year, CLEAR and the TSA have announced a pilot program that will test the efficacy of biometric eGates before they are rolled out nationwide.
The new eGate pilot program will only be tested in three locations:
- Reagan National in Washington, D.C.
- Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, Georgia
- Seattle-Tacoma in Seattle, Washington
What Is The New Biometric eGate Pilot Program?
The program aims to speed up the most common congestion points in air travel ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will take millions of international travelers all across the United States, as well as the 250th anniversary of the United States, which could see millions more travel to Washington, D.C., to experience the festivities.
How will the biometric eGates work?
The new pilot program will test the use of biometric scanning eGates that can make real-time biometric verification of travelers based on their boarding pass and ID.
The program will only be available to current CLEAR+ members, which will cost around $209 per year.
Who will operate the Clear+ biometric eGates?
The eGates themselves will be operated by TSA, but the rollout of the program will be funded entirely by CLEAR without the use of taxpayer funds.
How will TSA or CLEAR access and store your biometric information?
According to CLEAR, the company will only transmit limited data, including a live image (taken at the eGate for verification), boarding pass, and the government ID that you used for enrollment.
Additionally, CLEAR will not have access to federal watchlists, which means that TSA agents will have final say for eGate decisions.