A new kind of airport gate is coming to the security line, but you don’t need to hand over your ID.
Last week, the Transport Security Agency (TSA) and private security screening company CLEAR began implementing biometric authentication at three major airports: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The new gate will be operating at ATL and will begin operation on the week of August 25th and DCA on August 31st.
To use the gate, travelers with Clear+Membership scan their boarding pass and wait when the device validates their identity using biometric facial recognition. Once confirmed, an EGATE will open and passengers can bypass the TSA podium and proceed directly to the security checkpoint. Previously, clear staff had to physically escort members to the TSA podium for document verification.
For travelers, the system promises one major enhanced perk. Speed and convenience. Instead of waiting for the agent to display it in the document, EGATE automatically handles the check. The TSA still oversees the process (it’s there to help passengers encountering problems), but reaching the carry-on baggage screening area is aimed at making it faster and smoother with new technology.
If Egate Idea sounds familiar, it’s because it’s echoing a system already deployed overseas. Many international airports, including those in Singapore, Amsterdam and London, use biometric authentication with immigrants to streamline passport control. The difference here is that these US measures are at departure security checkpoints rather than border control, and are currently limited to travelers paying clear+membership (approximately $209 a year, with discounts via certain airlines and credit cards, such as American Express Platinum Cards and American Exps Centurion Cards).
It is also worth noting how this differs from your TSA Precheck Touchless ID. Touchless ID – Available at select airports, including Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and 12 other US airports, but instead of handing over your license or boarding pass, you can scan your face on the TSA podium. However, these systems have executives and are integrated into TSA Precheck Lane. In contrast, the new egtes is an automated entry point. It’s more like a passport control turnstyle than a staff checkpoint.
Unlike similar programs overseas, TSA officials emphasized that the development will be offered free of charge to taxpayers.
The program will be launched as a record-breaking passenger volume airport brace, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the US expected to bring domestic and international crowds. For now, the rollout is limited to three airports, but TSA and Clear said that if the pilot is successful, it is likely to expand.
For frequent flyers that are already clearly paid, the new gate can make the early morning dash through the airport a little less stressful. For everyone else, it’s a preview of how biometric technology continues to shape the airport experience over the next few years.
