Airport to let pre-approved travelers bypass security
Honolulu International Airport will become one of 13 airports across the country that will allow pre-approved, "trusted air travelers" to bypass normal security measures for international travel starting on Au1g. 24, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The so-called Global Entry initiative allows pre-approved, international travelers to insert their passports or lawful permanent resident cards into a document reader at a special kiosk, provide fingerprints that will be compared to fingerprints on file and then answer custom declaration questions on a touch screen.
Travelers will be given a transaction receipt that they will then give to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer before leaving the inspection area.
So far, Global Entry kiosks have been used more than 51,000 times at seven airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Washington, D.C., according to the Department of Homeland Security.
"Expanding this vital program allows us to improve customer service at airports and concentrate our resources on higher-risk travelers," Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.