CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Secure ID company CLEAR is testing out its new biometric eGates at three airports in the United States and Atlanta is on the list.
Starting Tuesday, CLEAR+ will takeoff for testing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Ronald Reagan National Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
CLEAR confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that Hartsfield-Jackson was the first airport to get the pilot program out of the gate, with Reagan and Seattle to follow.
“ATL is first in this rollout, and the others will follow over the next month, with plans to expand across CLEAR’s nationwide network,” a company spokeswoman said.
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The company said they were testing locations ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 games, which will be in Atlanta next summer.
Additionally, with the travel volume form international visitors expected to reach 20 million during the World Cup, CLEAR said the pilot program is a “first of its kind, innovative public-private partnership.”
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“We are proud to help make America’s airports great ahead of the World Cup. The U.S. should be leading on security, hospitality, and the travel experience,” CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said in a statement. “This partnership with TSA is a powerful example of how public and private sectors can work together to enhance security and improve the aviation ecosystem.”
The company said the program, and investments in security infrastructure, come at no additional cost to taxpayers.
“CLEAR’s secure identity platform will help unlock a better, safer, and more frictionless experience for all travelers,” Becker added.
The CLEAR program uses automated gates to “provide a scalable secure solution to expedite the passenger experience and enhance security.”
The program is also partnered with the Transportation Security Administration’s pre-check system, which CLEAR said would remain in control of security at the airports in question.
TSA will still be responsible for “triggering gate access, conducting security vetting, and enforcing government security requirements.“
The CLEAR program will only transmit live photo, boarding pass, ID photo and identity information, with the company saying the data it would transmit is limited.
Members who sign up, and subscribe to, CLEAR+ will be able to skip the normal TSA podium thanks to biometric software matching their face to their ID and boarding pass.
The program will be in effect at the Atlanta airport’s Domestic Terminals North and South as well as the International Terminal.
CLEAR+ enrollees will also be able to add family members to their membership account, with subscriptions costing $209 per person, with a discount on additional members for $125 per person, up to three adults.
For Delta Air Lines’ SkyMiles members, there are additional alternative subscription options through a “special partner” pricing program.
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