KAHULUI (KHON2) – Kahului Airport will be the first airport in the state to launch the travel provider CLEAR.
On Tuesday, April 30, CLEAR will begin offering its optional identification verification services for Maui travelers. CLEAR allows travelers who subscribe for a fee to use a dedicated line to verify their identity using biometrics such as a scan of your eyes or fingerprint, instead of having to show a government-issued photo ID, passengers will still need to be screened by TSA.
CLEAR will have a greeting area for members across the walkway in front of Checkpoint 1.
“CLEAR will have pods at Checkpoint 1 and Checkpoint 2,” explained Hawaii Dept. of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen. “So it will allow those with the service to go through more efficiently on both sides.”
The Hawaii Dept. of Transportation said CLEAR employees will not approach travelers outside of the greeting area.
Sniffen said CLEAR employees will work during peak hours and pull people out of line who have the app to help speed up the process. A few years ago, Kahului airport had TSA wait times up to three hours.
Checkpoint 1 will be used for TSA pre-check and Checkpoint 2 will be used for overflow general screening.
CLEAR is used at more than 50 airports across North America and at stadiums and cruises.
Membership costs $189 annually.
Sniffen said CLEAR pays the state for the space they rent at the airport and pays 10% of their gross sales for anyone in Hawaii who enrolls in CLEAR.
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