Sunday, July 22, 2007

CLEAR TO BOARD AIRPLANE

Orlando Airport Program To Skip Security Lines Expanding

POSTED: 12:33 pm EDT July 19, 2007
UPDATED: 5:35 pm EDT July 19, 2007

A program allowing air travelers to pay a fee and skip long security lines will soon be expanded in New Jersey, Arkansas and New York, authorities said Thursday.

Participants in the Clear Registered Traveler program pay $100 annually, submit to fingerprinting and eye scans, and must be approved by the Transportation Security Administration. Passengers still go through metal detectors, but use a dedicated line with little wait.

Verified Identity Pass Inc. announced plans to place its services in LaGuardia Airport, and launched operations at Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday. Albany International Airport, Little Rock National Airport in Arkansas and Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y., were slated to open Clear lanes in August.

The program started as a federal pilot in Orlando, and now 52,000 passengers nationally are enrolled. Similar programs operated by Verified Identity Pass and its competitors also will expand to Washington, D.C., Denver, Atlanta and San Francisco in the coming months, the New York-based company said in a release.

Clear is already in place in San Jose, Calif., Cincinnati, Indianapolis and other cities.

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