United Airlines Introduces Automated Screening
Jennifer Billock November 14, 2016
Security at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago just got a little bit easier for United Airlines travelers.
On the heels of traveler frustration from security wait times reaching up to four hours at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, anybody flying with United can now rest a little bit easier. The airline recently introduced automated screening lines at O’Hare, making them the first U.S. airline to offer such a system. In addition, the TSA Precheck security lines at the airport have their own dedicated automated lanes.
“Establishing these automated screening lanes at TSA checkpoints is an important part of sustaining the success we achieved since last spring,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “We’ve gone from an unacceptable 104 minute wait time at peak hours at O’Hare to some of the shortest in the country among major airports. With the will, and the right technology, we will continue this progress. And I want to thank United Airlines for opening the latest automated screening lanes here at O’Hare.”
The lanes allow up to five customers to fill security bins at the same time so faster travelers can move ahead to screening quicker. Each bin is photographed and marked to its respective traveler with an electronic tag. And after screening, the bins go right back to the start on a conveyor belt.
“We are very appreciative of the ongoing collaboration between TSA and our industry partners such as United,” TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger said in the statement. “Working together in our efforts to deploy effective, state-of-the-art technologies such as these automated lanes in Terminal 1 at O’Hare furthers TSA’s ability to fulfill its security mission while also enhancing the travel experience.”
[Photo: Chicago Sun-Times]
