Airport Security Phasing Out Boarding Pass Checks

New scanning technology allows TSA agents to verify your ID, and your flight

By Natalie Fiorilli

Published February 24, 2020

Read Time: 3 mins

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Going through airport security is about to get a little easier.

New technology coming to airports nationwide will make it possible for Transportation Security Administration agents to move passengers through security without checking their boarding passes.

Known as Credential Authentication Technology, or CAT, the computer system scans a traveler’s government-issued ID to verify its authenticity. The technology then cross-references the data with the TSA’s vetting database, called Secure Flight, and confirms the passenger is listed on a flight that day.

While presenting your boarding pass at the checkpoint isn’t a lengthy process, the new authentication system improves efficiency and enhances airport secur