NORFOLK, Va. — A new technology feature that confirms the validity of a traveler’s identification (ID) and confirms their flight information in real-time is now used at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoints at Norfolk International Airport. 

The TSA said this new unit feature is the latest generation of Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) to verify the identity of travelers. The first-generation CAT units are designed to scan a traveler’s photo identification and confirm the traveler’s identity and flight details. 

The new CAT units, referred to as CAT-2, have the same capabilities but are equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of a traveler. CAT-2 compares the traveler’s photo ID against the in-person, real-time photo of the traveler.

Once the CAT-2  confirms, a TSA officer verifies and the traveler can proceed through the checkpoint, without exchanging a boarding pass.

The CAT-2 is equipped with cameras on tablets and are used to match the person’s face at the checkpoint with their driver’s license or passport. The photos are not saved.

“Identity verification of every traveler prior to flying is a key step in the security screening process,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “This technology enhances detection capabilities for identifying fraudulent IDs such as driver’s licenses and passports at a checkpoint and it increases efficiency by automatically verifying a passenger’s identification. We just want to ensure that you are who you say you are.” 

The TSA said the unit feature is touchless. The travelers insert their ID and do not have to hand it to the TSA officer. The units reduce touchpoints and speed up the process.

Even with the new feature, travelers still need to check in with their airline in advance and bring their boarding pass to their gate to show the airline representative before boarding their flight.

“This latest technology helps ensure that we know who is boarding flights,” explained Jeffrey Horowitz, TSA’s Assistant Federal Security Director at the airport. “Credential authentication plays an important role in passenger identity verification. It improves a TSA officer’s ability to validate a traveler’s photo identification while also identifying any inconsistencies associated with fraudulent travel documents.”