Mike Horton is the vice president of national security at ASRC Federal.
ASRC Federal works as a trusted partner to more than 30 government agency customers in defense and citizen services to identify key challenges and implement smart solutions. One standout success from 2025 advanced our mission with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The challenge
U.S. airports serve an average of approximately 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers. With the number of passengers increasing each year and the need for reliable and secure passenger screening, Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) must verify that individuals entering are legit.
ASRC Federal’s aviation and technology experts collaborated on a common-sense passenger processing solution that not only helps security officers, but also U.S. air travelers, airlines and the airports in which they operate.
A speedy and secure solution
To cost-effectively combat increasing wait times, ASRC Federal and our partners worked with our customers at the TSA to develop the successful TSA Touchless Identity Solution (TIS), or “Touchless ID” – the next generation of passenger identity verification technology to enhance national security while improving air travelers’ experience at airports.
How it works
TIS allows TSA PreCheck travelers to move through the security checkpoint without having to search for and present their boarding passes or IDs. With TIS, the vast majority of passengers can be cleared quickly, resulting in more passengers passing through checkpoints. This ultimately helps the airport trim costs and supports an efficient passenger experience.
Airline passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck can opt into TIS for free. After enrolling, passengers need to update their active airline profile with valid passport information. The airline then provides a consent indicator on the passenger’s mobile boarding pass, entitling them to use a dedicated TIS lane at check-in. At the TIS kiosk, a TSO with a tablet and high-definition camera captures the passenger’s image and quickly verifies their identity against TSA data, expediting checkpoint processing in under 10 seconds. The result is up to 66% faster processing time for PreCheck passengers.
Software developed by ASRC Federal for this program leverages Customs and Border Protection’s Traveler Verification Service application interface and intelligent data filtering methods to comb through millions of passenger records. Consequently, TIS is able to validate passenger’s information with a very high level of accuracy and is even able to reliably discern between identical twins.
Expanded access
The widespread implementation of TIS will help address understaffing and high passenger volumes at airports as it automates the check-in process. In total, 45 next-generation TIS kiosks are currently deployed across 15 high-volume international airports. Currently, airlines that support TIS include Delta, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines at major hubs including Atlanta, San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles and New York City. Airlines wishing to adopt this solution can make a simple modification of their current check-in processes to offer PreCheck passengers an option to opt-in for biometric identification.
In sum, TIS allows airports to advance security and efficiency while markedly improving the passenger experience. As U.S. travel increases in 2026 and beyond with large events such as the World Cup and Summer Olympics, passengers will continue to appreciate expedited airport security processing.