Southwest Pilots Launch TSA Demonstration Project To Test Biometric Screening

Recently, a Southwest Airlines pilot was the first aircrew member to be screened by the Transportation Security Administration using an advanced biometric screening system.

The TSA-approved demonstration project called SecureScreen will utilize biometrics to positively identify aircrew members, making the screening process more secure and more efficient. SecureScreen was jointly developed by the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA), Southwest Airlines (SWA), the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), Maryland Aviation Authority (BWI), officials from TSA, and Priva Technologies, the developer of the Cleared Key, the core technology platform for SecureScreen. Over 200 BWI-based Southwest pilots will participate in the SecureScreen trial, which is slated to run for 60 days.

"Strengthening security into the cockpit has been a high priority at SWAPA for the past few years and we are extremely pleased to see this program come to fruition," said Capt. Carl Kuwitzky, President of SWAPA. "We anticipate a successful trial at BWI and strive to see this level of security implemented nationwide to ensure that anyone with access to the cockpit has been positively identified using a fingerprint or other form of bio-identification."

SecureScreen addresses the congressional mandates in H.R. 1 (Public Law 110-053), implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, which requires TSA to enhance security by properly identifying authorized airline flight deck and cabin crew members at screening checkpoints, granting them expedited access through screening checkpoints and to integrate biometric identifiers into airport security access control systems.

"We are excited about the upcoming test for the biometric system," said Chuck Magill, Southwest Airlines vice president of flight operations. "We think that it offers a much higher degree of security for our Pilots and will allow TSA a greater ability to focus on other areas of the screening process. We have worked together with SWAPA and TSA to create this test and believe that coordinated efforts such as this allow us all to create a viable, realistic and state-of-the-art system."

Featured

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.