Hartsfield-Jackson Unifies LAX, SFO, and MIA Lead the Way with Groundbreaking New Travel Tech Innovations Across US in Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami: What You Need to Know

In 2024 and 2025, US airports introduced several travel technologies aimed at enhancing security and passenger experience. Digital IDs were rolled out at 27 airports across 22 states, allowing travelers to use mobile driver’s licenses or state-issued IDs for seamless entry. Biometric eGates, introduced at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Reagan National, and Seattle-Tacoma, allowed for facial recognition and quicker passage through security. Self-screening lanes were piloted at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), using automated bin returns and UV light sanitation. Automated bag drop systems with facial verification were implemented at Alaska Airlines hubs. Delta’s Digital ID expanded to Salt Lake City, allowing faster security processing. These innovations, including CT scanners at ATL and MCO, signify a move toward contactless security.

1. Digital Identification (Mobile Driver’s Licences and State‑Issued IDs)

Participating airports and states

In 2024 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expanded its digital ID program to more than two dozen U.S. airports. Travelers from participating states can add a state‑issued driver’s licence or ID card to a digital wallet or a TSA‑approved mobile application. At the security checkpoint they scan the digital ID’s QR code or tap their mobile device on the reader, consent to share the credential and have a photo taken for facial matching. TSA notes that images and personal data are deleted after each transaction[1].

According to ATX Jetsetter, by mid‑2024 the program operated at 27 airports in 22 states and territories[2]:

• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) – Arizona;
• Los Angeles (LAX), San Jose (SJC) and San Francisco (SFO) – California;
• Denver (DEN) – Colorado;
• Miami (MIA) – Florida;
• Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta (ATL) – Georgia;
• Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye (HNL) – Hawaii;
• Chicago O’Hare (ORD) – Illinois;
• Des Moines (DSM) and Eastern Iowa (CID) – Iowa;
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG) – Kentucky;
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans (MSY) – Louisiana;
• Baltimore/Washington (BWI) – Maryland;
• Detroit Metropolitan (DTW) – Michigan;
• Gulfport‑Biloxi (GPT) and Jackson‑Medgar Wiley Evers (JAN) – Mississippi;
• Harry Reid (LAS) – Nevada;
• New York’s JFK and LaGuardia (LGA) – New York;
• John Glenn Columbus (CMH) – Ohio;
• Will Rogers World (OKC) – Oklahoma;
• Luis Muñoz Marín (SJU) – Puerto Rico;
• Nashville (BNA) – Tennessee;
• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) – Texas;
• Salt Lake City (SLC) – Utah;
• Richmond (RIC) and Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) – Virginia[2].

Travelers using digital ID still undergo standard screening but do not need to present a physical ID. TSA has said the technology is currently available to residents of eleven states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Utah) with plans for broader acceptance[3]. This digital ID program marks one of the largest technology rollouts of 2024.

2. Biometric eGates Pilot (CLEAR/TSA)

In August 2025 the TSA and identity‑verification company CLEAR began piloting biometric eGates at three major airports. According to Nextgov/FCW, the eGate is a small portal installed before the physical screening area. The traveler steps into the gate, which matches the person’s facial image with their identity document and boarding pass; once identity and flight clearance are confirmed, the passenger bypasses the TSA podium and proceeds directly to the x‑ray screening[4]. CLEAR notes that only limited data (live photo, boarding pass and ID photo) are transmitted, and an opt‑out option remains[5]. The initial pilot was intended to support the 2026 FIFA World Cup and was funded by CLEAR rather than taxpayers[6].

The eGates first rolled out at Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in August 2025, with additional deployments scheduled for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Seattle‑Tacoma International Airport (SEA) by the end of the month[7]. The pilot is available only to CLEAR Plus members but demonstrates a shift toward self‑service identity verification at security checkpoints.

3. Self‑Service Screening Lanes

Harry Reid International Airport (Las Vegas)

On March 7 2024, the TSA unveiled self‑screening lanes at the innovation checkpoint of Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. According to an Associated Press report, the lanes allow TSA PreCheck passengers to follow step‑by‑step instructions displayed on a screen to conduct their own security screening with minimal assistance[8]. The system features an automated bin return that sanitizes trays with ultraviolet light and a clear glass body‑scanning booth using millimetre‑wave technology[9]. Officials noted that the pilot is limited to Las Vegas, uses only the English language and aims to let travelers move at their own pace[10]. The concept is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Screening at Speed” program and could expand if evaluations at LAS prove successful[11].

4. Automated Bag Drop with Biometric ID Verification

Alaska Airlines (San Francisco, Portland and Seattle)

In September 2025 Alaska Airlines announced the next step in its lobby modernization project: identity verification at automated bag‑drop units. Future Travel Experience reported that the airline had introduced automated bag‑drop technology in San Francisco (SFO), Portland (PDX) and Seattle‑Tacoma (SEA) in 2024, allowing customers to print bag tags and dispatch luggage without staff[12]. A year later, Alaska added facial‑matching ID verification at bag‑drop units in Seattle and Portland, enabling travelers to scan their ID and have a facial scan match the ID photo before the bag is accepted[13]. Customers may opt for human assistance instead of facial recognition, and photos used for verification are deleted after each transaction[14]. Alaska described the technology as a key step toward getting guests from the lobby to security in under five minutes[15].

5. Delta Air Lines Digital ID Expansion

Delta Air Lines has been rolling out Delta Digital ID, a biometric program that allows customers to check in, drop bags and pass through security by looking into a camera instead of presenting identification. Developed with TSA, Delta Digital ID debuted in 2021 at Atlanta and Detroit. In November 2024 Delta expanded the technology to its Salt Lake City (SLC) hub, making SLC the sixth hub in Delta’s network to offer the service[16]. Delta noted that the technology had already expanded to Los Angeles (LAX), New York–JFK, and LaGuardia (LGA)[17]. At Salt Lake City, Digital ID customers receive access to a dedicated TSA PreCheck Touchless ID lane; Delta reported that bag‑drop transactions average 30 seconds (compared with two minutes) and that security processing is about 60 percent faster than standard TSA PreCheck[18]. Plans call for the program to reach Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) soon after SLC[19].

6. Computed‑Tomography (CT) Scanners and Automated Screening Lanes

In September 2025 Community Impact reported that computed‑tomography (CT) scanners – similar to medical CT machines but optimized for security – were being introduced at several U.S. airports. CT scanners generate 3‑D images of carry‑on bags, allowing TSA officers to rotate the images and apply artificial‑intelligence algorithms to identify potential threats[20]. Passengers can typically leave laptops and liquids inside their bags[21]. The same article noted that CT scanners were arriving in Atlanta (ATL), Denver (DEN), Orlando (MCO) and Boston (BOS) during 2025 and would be added to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Nashville (BNA) and Seattle (SEA) in 2026[22].

Community Impact also described features of automated screening lanes installed at Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) in 2024. The lanes include four divesting counters per lane (to load bins simultaneously), powered rollers to move bins through the X‑ray machine, larger bins that can hold carry‑on suitcases, and cameras that link each bin to its X‑ray image[23]. TSA has committed up to $1.3 billion to purchase more than 1,000 CT scanners for airports nationwide[24].

7. One Stop Security (OSS) Pilot

In July 2025 American Airlines announced a One Stop Security (OSS) program at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The program, developed with TSA, Customs and Border Protection and the UK Department for Transport, allows passengers arriving from London Heathrow (LHR) and connecting at DFW to clear U.S. customs at the arrival gate[25]. Checked luggage is automatically transferred to the connecting flight, so travelers bypass the baggage claim and TSA re‑screening process, cutting connection times by more than half[26]. American Airlines said the program enhances security while improving the customer experience and plans to expand OSS to additional flights and U.S. airports[27].

8. HEXWAVE Walk‑Through Screening for Employees

An MIT News article noted that HEXWAVE—a walk‑through microwave imaging system developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory—began deployment at U.S. airports in 2024 to meet a TSA mandate for enhanced employee screening[28]. HEXWAVE discretely scans people as they walk by, reconstructing 3‑D microwave images within milliseconds to detect metallic and non‑metallic threats[29]. While the article did not list specific airports, it stated that airports nationwide adopted HEXWAVE in 2024, and TSA was evaluating it as a potential replacement for metal detectors in PreCheck lanes[28].

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