U.S. airports to use E-CAT to replace visual inspection

BILLERICA, USA: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has awarded MorphoTrust USA (Safran) a contract to provide Credential Authentication Technology (E-CAT) for U.S. airports.

The $85 million contract ceiling covers seven years and will allow TSA travel document checkers to scan passenger credentials at the checkpoint versus the current visual inspection. 

As added, MorphoTrust E-CAT automatically checks multiple security features embedded in a passenger's identification document to ensure it has not been altered or is counterfeit. Once the E-CAT is connected to TSA's network, this information will simultaneously be verified against the passenger boarding information from Secure Flight, TSA's watchlist matching system.

MorphoTrust has provided identity solutions and services to the TSA for more than eight years. The company is the prime contractor for TSA's Universal Enrollment Services (UES) and TSA Pre, it tells in the announcement adding that UES has successfully consolidated the Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC) and Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment Program into a single service with convenient enrollment locations nationwide.

Approximately 300 of the 1,100 IdentoGO Centers by MorphoTrust provide enrollment services for UES, which includes live scan fingerprinting and the secure transmission of data to TSA. "MorphoTrust E-CAT is the culmination of many years of work to address airport security requirements following the 9/11 tragedy, while simplifying travel for American citizens," MorphoTrust CEO Bob Eckel said. "It is also just the beginning of our vision for what's possible in air travel, creating a future in which passengers can move easily and securely from the curb to the gate without boarding passes or security lines."