APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Appleton International Airport (ATW) introduced a new technology that validates travelers’ identification and their flight information in near real-time.
“This new technology installed at the Appleton International Airport checkpoint enhances capabilities for identifying fraudulent ID such as driver’s licenses and passports and increases our efficiency by automatically verifying the passenger’s identification. The system also provides a reduction in touchpoints during the pandemic for our passengers,” says Wisconsin’s TSA Federal Security Director Mark Lendvay.
According to a release, passengers will approach the travel document checking station at the checkpoint and listen to the instructions of the TSA Officer, who will request passengers to insert their personal identification into the scanner for authentication.
Passengers will not have to hand over their boarding pass, which reduces touching. Instead, they should have their boarding pass in possession in the event that TSA Officer requests a visual inspection.
The Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) unit will verify that the traveler is prescreened to travel out of the airport for a flight that day. A boarding pass may be requested for travelers under the age of 18 or those without IDs or who have an issue with a damaged ID.
Even with TSA’s use of CAT, travelers still need to check-in with their airline in advance and bring their boarding pass to their gate and show the airline representative prior to boarding their flight.
According to a release, CAT units authenticate several types of IDs including:
- Passports
- Military common access cards
- Retired military ID cards
- Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler ID cards
- Uniformed services ID cards
- Permanent resident cards
- U.S. visas
- Driver’s license and photo IDs issued by state DMVs
A CAT unit consists of the passport reader, an ID card reader, a Federal personal identity verification ID card reader, a monitor, a stand and a UV light.
