From curb to gate without lines, disrobing, or searches is goal of IATA checkpoint of the future

SINGAPORE, 13 June 2011. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Montreal is proposing an airport passenger security screening checkpoint of the future that would shorten lines and waiting times at major airports by sorting passengers into three levels of risk and giving expedited screening to passengers who register and complete government background checks.IATA's mockup checkpoint of the future is intended to enhance security, shorten lines, and reduce intrusive searches at airports using intelligence-driven risk-based measures, IATA officials say. IATA is showing the mockup at the organization's Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Singapore.IATA's mockup checkpoint of the future sorts passengers into three categories according to risk based on biometric identifiers in passports or other travel documents. The three risk categories are known traveler, normal, and enhanced security. The passenger's passport loads with a government risk assessment before the passenger arrives at the airport.

Known travelers register and complete background checks, and will have expedited access. Normal refers to most travelers who have not completed background checks. Passengers with sketchy information or those deemed to be elevated risks would have an extra level of screening.

Airport security companies are developing screening technology to enable passengers to walk through the checkpoint without removing clothing or unpacking belongings. In the future, passenger screening could combine with outbound customs and immigration to streamline the process further.

“We spend $7.4 billion a year to keep aviation secure, but our passengers only see hassle," says IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani. The new checkpoint could enable passengers to go from curb to boarding gate without stopping, removing clothing, or being searched, he says.

Checkpoints in most of the world's airports today were designed 40 years ago to stop hijackers carrying metal weapons, Bisignani says. IATA's checkpoint of the future, instead, would blend intelligence based on passenger information and new technology. "That means moving from a system that looks for bad objects, to one that can find bad people,” Bisignani says.

For more information contact IATA online at www.iata.org.