The TSA is testing technology that would scan airline passengers' fingerprints to determine their identity and obtain their boarding pass information.
The agency tasked wth protecting America's airports and keeping passengers safe announced in a press release Tuesday that the pilot program will be conducted at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Denver International Airport. It is open to travelers enrolled in TSA Precheck.
The technology will allow a passenger's fingerprint to serve as both an identification method and his or her boarding pass.
"TSA looks at technologies and intelligence capabilities that allow us to analyze and secure the travel environment, passengers, and their property," said TSA acting assistant administrator Steve Karoly of the Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis.
"Through these and other technology demonstrations, we are looking to reinvent and enhance security effectiveness to meet the evolving threat and ensure that passengers get to their destinations safely."
If the program is successful, it would potentially allow passengers to pass through security lines without a physical boarding pass.
During the testing phase, the TSA is asking for volunteers who use Precheck to provide their fingerprints (if they've not already done so) and use a dedicated lane in the security area.
The TSA has stepped up its screening of electronic devices at airports after intelligence was uncovered earlier this year that suggested terrorists have the ability to detonate laptop bombs midflight.
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