CLEAR will start offering its identification verification services at Maui’s Kahului Airport beginning Tuesday of this week. The service allows subscribed travelers to use a dedicated line where they can verify their identity using biometrics instead of presenting a government-issued photo ID. That having been said, subscribers will still need to undergo TSA screening.
CLEAR will set up a greeting area for its members across from Checkpoint 1 of the airport. CLEAR ambassadors will operate strictly within this area and will not approach travelers outside of it.
At the same time, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation announced that TSA PreCheck at Kahului Airport will move to Checkpoint 1 starting Sunday, located next to the ticketing lobby. Checkpoint 2 will switch to a general checkpoint for overflow situations, in response to the growing number of TSA PreCheck enrollees.
TSA PreCheck is a program managed by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to undergo a faster, more streamlined security screening process at airports. Members do not need to remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belts, or light jackets. It’s distinct from CLEAR, which focuses on speeding up the identity verification process using biometric technology such as fingerprints and eye scans, but whose members still go through standard physical security checks like other passengers.
CLEAR’s touchdown in Maui’s main airport arrives shortly after the proposal of legislation in California that would require CLEAR to use separate, dedicated security lanes instead of merging with existing TSA lines. The bill aims to address perceived inequities in how security screening privileges are distributed, with concerns that CLEAR’s service may prioritize those able to afford it over regular travelers.
While major airlines and industry stakeholders warn that such changes could lead to higher operating costs, potentially impacting airfares and the state’s appeal to tourists, labor unions back the bill, criticizing CLEAR’s model as a “pay-to-play” approach.
Source: Maui Now
April 29, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy
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