HOUSTON – Travelers flying out of Houston now have a new way to speed through airport security.
The Transportation Security Administration has rolled out TSA PreCheck® Touchless ID at both George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), allowing eligible passengers to move through security using facial recognition technology.
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According to TSA, the Touchless ID system uses facial comparison to verify a traveler’s identity, aiming to make the screening process faster and more efficient while maintaining security standards.
At IAH, the technology is available at TSA PreCheck checkpoints in Terminal A-North, Terminal C-North and Terminal E. At HOU, travelers can use the dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes equipped with the system.
To use Touchless ID, passengers must already be enrolled in TSA PreCheck, have an active profile with a participating airline and upload valid passport information to that airline account. Eligible travelers will see a Touchless ID indicator on their mobile boarding pass.
Participating airlines at IAH include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. At HOU, participating carriers include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines.
TSA officials say participation in the program is voluntary. Travelers who opt in must still carry a REAL ID-compliant form of identification and present it if requested by a TSA officer.
The agency emphasized that privacy protections are in place. Images captured during the identity verification process are not used for law enforcement or surveillance purposes and are deleted within 24 hours of a passenger’s scheduled flight departure.
Officials say the expansion is part of a broader effort to modernize airport security while improving the passenger experience.