The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) activated the first touchless biometric e-gates in Terminal C at Newark Liberty Airport during the Labor Day travel period in 2026. Developed in partnership with United Airlines, these e-gates permit TSA PreCheck passengers to verify their identity and boarding information using facial biometrics, eliminating the need for physical identification or paper boarding passes. Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) introduced Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP) at Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport preclearance facility, employing facial comparison technology to verify travelers’ faces against passport data within seconds. Denver International Airport began accepting myColorado mobile driver’s licenses
(mDLs) at TSA security checkpoints, utilizing Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) to authenticate the traveler’s digital ID along with a real-time photo, verifying boarding details without requiring a boarding pass.
Traveler Experience and TSA Statements
TSA PreCheck passengers using Newark Liberty’s biometric e-gates can confirm their identity and boarding status swiftly without physical documents. At Bermuda, U.S. citizens benefit from expedited inspections through CBP’s facial recognition system. At Denver International, travelers now may present myColorado mDLs for identity verification without a boarding pass, easing airport checkpoint procedures. TSA Colorado Federal Security Director Douglas Cruz emphasized, “The process of verifying identities is fundamental to ensuring transportation security.”
He added, “By enabling travelers to use mobile driver’s licenses, we are leveraging technology to strengthen security and streamline our operations. Our TSA officers are fully trained to accept and process myColorado mDLs, and we are glad to provide this convenient option for those departing DEN and our other state airports.” Greg Hawko, TSA federal security director at Newark Liberty Airport, noted there is no current plan to install the biometric e-gates outside Terminal C but stated, “the hope is, as it progresses, we can expand it across the airport.” Colorado now is one of 21 states whose mobile driver’s
licenses TSA accepts.
Investment and Technology Adoption in U.S. Airports
Skyport, the operator of Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport, funded the Enhanced Passenger Processing rollout after witnessing similar facial comparison technology implemented in Aruba. The broader TSA and CBP expansion of biometric verification and mobile ID technologies from pilot programs to operational use reflects a growing trend to reinforce security and streamline passenger processing in U.S. airports. These initiatives leverage face biometrics and digital identity solutions to improve verification speed and reduce reliance on physical documents at checkpoints.
