Passengers using three major United States airports will be involved in trials of new electronic gates (eGates), according to a 19 August announcement from the national Transport Security Administration (TSA).
Part of a public-private initiative partnered by security firm CLEAR at no cost to US taxpayers, the eGates are aimed at streamlining identity checks at selected hubs, allowing passengers to have their biometric information and boarding pass data verified with no need for a human operator.
The TSA’s Acting Deputy Administrator, Adam Stahl, said the eGate collaboration “is just one example of how we are working with stakeholders both inside and outside of government to improve hospitality and security for the American traveler.” Part of that drive is to create “a seamless, less invasive traveler experience and shorter wait times at TSA security checkpoints.”
NEWS: TSA eGates public-private partnership enhances traveler experience. Read more: https://t.co/GTWBTlZB4w
— TSA (@TSA) August 19, 2025
The pilot scheme follows moves in July 2025 to allow flyers to pass through security scanners without having to remove their footwear, as well as a bid by US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to remove the cap on taking liquids on board that has been in place since 2006 due to a security incident involving a plot to smuggle liquid explosives onto aircraft.
This big push for what CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker has called “frictionless travel” that will contribute to “making airports great again” comes amid rocky times for the US travel sector, as international visitor numbers have dropped drastically enough to cause airlines to drop transatlantic prices and reroute to more popular destinations, while the US Travel Association has warned of thousands of job losses.
However, 2026 is anticipated to be a significant year for US travel, partly thanks to the FIFA World Cup, which is set to be held in 16 cities across the US, Canada and Mexico. Offering a “total transaction time” of “between three and six seconds,” according to CLEAR, the eGates are already in place at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and “are anticipated to roll out at Ronald Reagan National Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport” before September 2025. They are then promised for 30 more airports and could make a huge difference in convenience for travellers commuting between World Cup football fixtures.
But only those in possession of CLEAR+ membership, which allows them to skirt the security queues, will be able to access them. A CLEAR+ membership costs $209 a year. That price could prove too steep for travellers already facing new visa costs and, for some, upfront visa bonds of up to $15,000.
