The TSA Is About to Start Testing Self-screening at This Airport — What We Know so Far

Alison Fox
·3 min read

The TSA is setting up a self-service screening prototype at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas next year.

<p>Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images</p>

Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Airport security may look a little more like a self-checkout counter next year thanks to a new technology the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is testing.

The TSA is setting up a self-service screening prototype at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas next year with construction on the security lane expected to be complete by late January, a representative for the agency recently confirmed to Travel + Leisure. The self-service lane is expected to be operational for TSA PreCheck travelers sometime in March.

Using a prototype, from automation company Vanderlande, which includes a video monitor with multi-step instructions and a screening portal with automated entry and exit doors, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

<p>Courtesy of DHS/S&T, Science and Technology Directorate </p> Future airport screening concept design from 2015

Courtesy of DHS/S&T, Science and Technology Directorate

Future airport screening concept design from 2015

“We’re privileged to partner with TSA to reimagine airport security by building new ground-breaking technology and solutions while being passenger focused and forward leaning,” John Fortune, the Science and Technology Directorate’s Screening at Speed program manager, said in a recent statement. “Self-service screening is a big step toward creating novel, innovative solutions to build the airport of the future. The team expects to receive passenger and TSO feedback on the first self-service prototype once it is piloted in Las Vegas.”

After passengers are screened using the Vanderlande prototype, the automatic exit door will open and travelers can collect their belongings. If a passenger doesn’t pass (because they left something in their pocket, for example), the entry door will reopen so they can remove the item and be re-screened.

<p>Courtesy of Micro-X</p> Micro-X self-screening pod concept design

Courtesy of Micro-X

Micro-X self-screening pod concept design

Representatives for Harry Reid International Airport and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority did not respond to requests for comment from T+L.

Las Vegas isn’t the first test of this specific prototype. The system was initially installed at the TSA Transportation Systems Integration Facility at Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in March.

If the Las Vegas test is a success, it may be deployed to more airports in the future. However, the TSA told T+L that may not happen for years.

<p>Courtesy of Monash University</p> Pod-Based self-service screening concept design

Courtesy of Monash University

Pod-Based self-service screening concept design

The DHS is also exploring a Micro-X pod-based design, which is expected to be ready for testing in 2025. With that technology, multiple pods would be able to be installed in a single lane to screen several passengers at once.

Currently, the TSA has been introducing Credential Authentication Technology (CAT), which allows travelers to get through security without having to show a boarding pass or, in some cases, even a physical ID. The agency has also started rolling out full-size Computed Tomography (CT) x-ray systems, which can create 3D images of carry-on items, allowing officers to detect things like weapons, explosives, and other banned items.

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