Clear expands fast pass to Washington

WASHINGTON, March 20 (UPI) -- Clear announced the successful expansion of its fast pass airport security check to Reagan National and Dulles International airports in the Washington area.

The Clear airport security check lanes, now offered at 16 major airports in the United States, is an initiative to provide airline passengers a faster way of moving through airport security. Company officials say the expansion to Reagan National and Dulles International airports has already resulted in approximately 3,500 people who have signed up for the program.

"Finally, we have a chance to see the registered traveler program in action," Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., ranking member, Transportation Security Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement. "I have always believed we could combine customer friendly innovation with a continued commitment to aviation security. This is one more step in that direction."

In order to bypass the security screening bottleneck for the fast pass lanes, Clear members pay an annual fee and are pre-screened by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. Upon approval, members receive an access card that verifies a pre-selected fingerprint or iris image. Official say the success of the program is evident in the more than 118,000 people who have signed up.

"We support programs such as Clear and new technologies in the security screening field that can benefit the traveling public, and we're pleased to see the successful launch of the registered traveler program today at our Washington airports," said HR Crawford, chair of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors.