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As the Labor Day travel rush kicks off, airport security may look a little different for travelers at one of the biggest airports in the New York City area.
This week, the Transportation Security Administration brought its new “e-gates” to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) for the first time.
It’s a new setup that allows passengers to pass through Transportation Security Administration without ever stopping to speak with an officer.
The automated gates are live for certain United Airlines passengers passing through Newark’s Terminal C.
EWR is one of the nation’s first airports to pilot this new high-tech security process.
Earlier this summer, the TSA began trialing similar technology at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).
I just tried the TSA’s new e-gates: Here’s what it was like
Passengers using the e-gates no longer have to hand their IDs to a TSA staffer. Instead, they walk into a booth and have their photo taken, and then the translucent gates typically open in a matter of seconds.
Who can use the TSA e-gates?
In Charlotte, the e-gates are available to all passengers registered for TSA PreCheck.
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Access in Newark is limited to United flyers who have opted in to the faster TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program.
That biometric program allows passengers to pass through security without showing an ID. Instead, the TSA snaps a photo and compares the image to passport information already on file.
Travelers using the e-gates at Newark can essentially pass through the initial security line without pulling out an ID or boarding pass, or speaking to an officer.
Then those passengers (and their bags) will be screened as usual.
How to use the e-gates in Newark
To use the TSA’s e-gates at Newark, you’ll need to be flying United. And, you’ll have to opt in to TSA PreCheck Touchless ID with the airline. Here’s how to do that.
The TSA has now trialed e-gates at three major airports: EWR, CLT and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
So far, the process has been slightly faster than a normal security line; the TSA has said the automatic gates save about 3 seconds per passenger on average.
It may not sound like much, but as thousands of flyers go through security each day, those saved seconds add up. The e-gates also free up officers to assist travelers in other lanes.
Travel lines go high-tech
TSA isn’t alone in turning to higher-tech processes to speed up airport lines.
In recent months, the paid security service Clear has also rolled out its own version of e-gates at dozens of airports nationwide.
It comes as airlines, government agencies and private security companies have increasingly been relying on biometric photos to cut wait times at major hubs.
Earlier this summer, TPG reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection was trialing camera capture technology for Global Entry. That new process verifies passengers’ identity as they walk into the customs hall, eliminating the need for the fast-track program’s blue kiosks.
Meanwhile, some airlines have begun using facial recognition at certain airport gates, allowing flyers to board without scanning a boarding pass.
At TSA checkpoints, passengers can always opt out of having their photo taken. Photography — and use of the new e-gates — is optional.
The TSA hopes to eventually bring the e-gates technology to more cities.
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