Following record-breaking air travel over Labor Day weekend, the U.S. Travel Association has released survey results underscoring traveler preference of biometric technology screening.
Nearly all Americans (92 percent) agreed that verifying traveler identity is an important measure taken by TSA to protect the flying public, while an equal amount say they would be more or equally likely to support biometric use at TSA security checkpoints if it reduced the typical time it takes to get through security. Interestingly though, supporters of TSA biometrics primarily list stopping terrorism and human trafficking (71 percent) and making airports safer (66 percent) as their reasons for supporting biometric use at TSA security checkpoints—even above travel efficiency and wait times.
In all, 78 percent of Americans said they currently support the use of biometrics at TSA security checkpoints to confirm the identity of travelers. Americans also say they would be more likely to support the use of biometrics at TSA security checkpoints knowing the data would be deleted within hours of the completed trip; be used to stop terrorism; and have safeguards in place to ensure biometric data is not shared with other government agencies.
Noting the strong favor of biometrics at airports, Geoff Freeman, U.S. Travel Association president and CEO, said that “Washington must act to fund and widely utilize this technology at our nation’s airports,” especially as the U.S. anticipates hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Summer Olympics in 2028.
Despite this support from the traveling public, several members of Congress have looked to ban most facial recognition technology at airports. According to U.S. Travel, this could result in travelers waiting an additional 120 million hours in TSA lines each year by significantly slowing both TSA PreCheck and standard screening lanes, not to mention potentially making airports less safe.
U.S. Travel has shared a list of other ways that air travel can be improved throughout the United States, including lifting limitation levels on liquids and related items in carry-on bags and modernizing pre-clearance at designated foreign airports to inspect travelers prior to arrival in the United States.
Source: U.S. Travel Association
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