U.S. Travel Association Raises Concerns About Proposed Amendment to Federal Aviation Administration Bill by Senators Merkley and Kennedy – Travel And Tour World

The U.S. Travel Association has voiced concerns about a potential amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill proposed by Senators Jeff Merkley and John Kennedy. They warn that if this amendment is included, it could create worrisome situations for passengers at airports during this summer’s travel season.

An analysis by the U.S. Travel Association indicates that this amendment might lead to an extra 120 million hours of waiting time for travelers in TSA lines annually, due to significant slowdowns in both TSA PreCheck and regular screening lanes. Additionally, the senators’ proposal poses a threat to national security by effectively prohibiting the use of facial recognition technology by TSA for non-PreCheck passengers, potentially opening doors for misuse by individuals with malicious intent.

“The proposed amendment to FAA reauthorization is dangerous, costly and threatens to create chaos at America’s airports,” said Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “Eliminating the use of biometrics–such as facial scans–will set America back by decades and only misinformed members of Congress are to blame.”

The Merkley/Kennedy Amendment proposes a complete prohibition on the TSA’s utilization of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) until the TSA fulfills costly and impractical prerequisites. This could result in a significant period of travel disruption as the TSA re-trains its personnel, removes and relocates technology, and adjusts screening procedures—all of which would come at the expense of aviation safety.

Additionally, the amendment seeks to forbid the use of FRT for individuals not deemed trusted travelers. It would halt the expansion of FRT matching technology to new airports until May 2027, while also putting a stop to the expansion and enrollment in the TSA PreCheck Touchless Identity Solution for customers beyond those already enrolled and the six airports where it’s currently operational (ATL, DTW, LAX, LGA, JFK, and ORD).

“This proposed legislation threatens to turn America’s airports into the equivalent of college bars where fake IDs rule the day,” said Freeman. “TSA, to its credit, is innovating with the latest security technology and members of Congress are threatening to stand in its way–at the expense of the travel experience.”

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