LOS ANGELES — With a fingerprint and a quick iris scan, passengers flying out of Los Angeles International Airport can now confirm their identity biometrically and avoid at least part of the airport’s security screening line.
Clear, a New York-based identity-authentication company, began operations at all terminals at LAX last week. Membership for the service is $179 per year, with discounts for some airline loyalty members.
The addition of Clear kiosks, which already are installed at 22 airports and six sports stadiums nationwide, represent the growing use of biometrics to confirm the identity of passengers at U.S. airports.
JetBlue Airways began to use facial recognition technology this month to verify the identity of passengers boarding flights between Boston’s Logan International Airport and Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba.
Delta Air Lines in May began letting members of its loyalty reward program use their fingerprints as ID to enter the Delta Sky Club at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Alaska Airlines began in 2014 to use fingerprint scans to screen fliers at the airline’s six airport lounges, including the one at Los Angeles International Airport.
Clear representatives say LAX fliers can sign up for a membership at an airport kiosk in a few minutes by scanning a driver’s license or a passport, answering background questions and creating a biometric account that includes an iris and fingerprint scan.
Once a member’s identification is confirmed, the passenger is escorted by a Clear employee through a special lane that bypasses the identification portion of the Transportation Security Administration’s screening line. The Clear member then moves directly to the queue for X-ray machine and metal detectors.
Clear has hired 90 workers for its LAX operations.
“With Clear as an added benefit at LAX, we continue to improve the LAX guest experience by offering choices that help travelers save time,” said Deborah Flint, chief executive at LAX.
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