CBS 58 MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Travelers flying out of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport now have another way to get through security.
The goal is simple: make the security process faster while giving travelers one less thing to worry about at the checkpoint.
"It's been in the works for a couple of years. It's built into the budget as we move forward," said Timothy Goodman, Wisconsin assistant federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration.
For some travelers, getting through airport security could soon be as simple as looking into a camera. TSA rolled out its PreCheck Touchless ID technology Wednesday at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
"The airport doesn't pay for that. It's through the TSA's budgeting process," Goodman said.
The system uses facial comparison technology to verify a traveler's identity at the security checkpoint. Instead of presenting a physical form of identification, eligible TSA PreCheck passengers can opt in through a participating airline or Google Wallet.
"I think it's impressive. You don't always see that in smaller airports," said Sara, a traveler who did not want to share her last name. "They don't even have TSA PreCheck at all hours of the day, so I think anytime any kind of airport can implement fast security measures, that's good."
To use Touchless ID, passengers must have an active TSA PreCheck membership and an airline profile with valid passport information.
At the checkpoint, a photo of the passenger is taken and compared with photos they have previously provided to the federal government, such as a passport photo.
While the technology may make the process easier, TSA officials still encourage travelers to bring a valid physical ID just in case.
"I don't like something where I'm uploading my picture and it's in some kind of database, but I believe they probably already have all the information anyway, so if it's going to speed things along with security, I'm OK with it," Sara said.
TSA says photos and personal data are deleted within 24 hours of the passenger's flight departure.
With Touchless ID now available at MKE, the agency says the goal is to make the travel experience quicker without compromising security.
"They're a critical part of that. The TSA experience is important. It influences where travelers fly in and out of, so we're doing what we can here at Milwaukee, and the airport has been very helpful in encouraging us to get those products," Goodman said.
