TSA self-screening is the next big step for airport security

In January, select passengers at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas will begin testing a new self-service screening system from the Transportation Security Administration. The setup will resemble a supermarket self-checkout, with travelers scanning their identification and carry-on bags instead of arugula and toilet paper.

“The ultimate goal of this is that it is all one-stop,” said Jeffrey C. Price, a professor of aviation and aerospace at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “You go in and you show your ID. It scans you, it scans your bags, you leave your little kiosk and off you go to the plane.”

An article about self-service screening published on the Department of Homeland Security’s website said the pilot program will start at the Las Vegas airport next month. TSA declined to share specifics about the system, and a representative for DHS did not respond to a request for comment.