Indianapolis Int'l Airport Might Register Travelers

Nov. 13--Indianapolis International Airport might soon adopt a new federal program that would allow air travelers to sidestep security lines in exchange for a fee and submitting to a background check.

The effort to launch the so-called "Registered Traveler Program" here -- perhaps as soon as next year -- follows a push by the federal Transportation Security Administration to balance post-9/11 security with passenger convenience.

TSA officials told Congress earlier this month that they intend to expand the initiative nationwide beginning in June.

"For the frequent traveler, this is exactly the type of program that we should offer," said Patrick Dooley, director of the Indianapolis airport.

Yet some experts say the TSA initiative might create new security loopholes. And civil liberties advocates question whether the program crosses the boundaries of privacy and forces travelers to pay, unfairly, for expediency.

The seven-member board that oversees the Indianapolis airport recently directed airport officials to begin a search for private firms that might supply screening equipment for the initiative. The board still must give the proposal final approval.

Many details of the program -- such as what changes might be made to airport checkpoints and how much membership might cost -- have not been determined.

Federal officials tested the program at five large domestic airports this summer and have been monitoring a longer-term experimental effort dubbed "Clear" at Orlando International Airport in Florida.

There, passengers pay an $80 annual fee and offer the federal government their fingerprints, an iris scan and biographical information. Applicants then undergo a background check.

Those accepted gain access to special screening lanes and are exempt from random security searches. Travelers are identified through either a fingerprint or an iris scan, or both.

Program members and their carry-on baggage still are screened for weapons, explosives and other illegal materials.

TSA officials say that travelers have reacted favorably to the pilot programs. Members who submit to both a fingerprint and iris scan at checkpoints are identified 99 percent of the time, according to the TSA.

Industry experts were divided about the program's possible impacts on airport security.

Peter Beering, head of the Indianapolis Terrorism Response Group, a security consulting firm, said convenience is not the only goal. In the long run, the program also bolsters security.

"TSA is taking the step of adding more screening procedures for passengers even before they go to the airport," Beering said. "There's nothing that keeps a screener from doing additional screening of any traveler."

But Bruce Schneier, a security expert based in Mountain View, Calif., and the author of the book, "Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly about Security in an Uncertain World," said the program "trades security for convenience."

"Whenever you make two ways through security, you invite the bad guys to take the easy way," Schneier said. "It sounds counterintuitive, but searching through Grandma's purse makes us more safe."

The American Civil Liberties Union, meantime, argues the program is fraught with "constitutional problems."

"The choice between giving up our most private and personal information and getting through airport security is one Americans shouldn't have to make," said Fran Quigley, executive director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union.

Recent Indianapolis airport travelers gave the registered-traveler concept mixed reviews.

Jessie Scanlon, a 35-year-old frequent air traveler from New York City, said that offering personal information to save a few minutes here and there might not be worth it.

"I think you are opening up a whole can of worms that could lead to racial and ethnic profiling, which is a cause for concern," she said.

Rich Friesen, a 41-year-old machine-tool engineer from Carmel, welcomed the idea.

"Sign me up!" said Friesen, who travels about 45 weeks each year.

On Monday mornings, he said, security lines at the B/C concourse -- the airport's busiest -- can sometimes take 45 minutes or longer to get through.

"Just get me through the lines as quickly as possible," he said.

Star reporter Tim Evans contributed to this story.

THE FEDERAL PROGRAM:

-- Officials at Indianapolis International Airport have begun seeking private firms that might supply screening and other equipment for the initiative here. The airport board still must give the proposal final approval.

-- The federal Transportation Security Administration has announced it wants to expand the program nationwide beginning in June