LR airport readies quicker screenings

Registration fee waived for first 100

Esperanza Rodriguez (left) enrolls Leila Dockery of Little Rock in the PreCheck program Friday at a new enrollment center at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field.
Esperanza Rodriguez (left) enrolls Leila Dockery of Little Rock in the PreCheck program Friday at a new enrollment center at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field.

The state's largest airport Friday unveiled its on-site enrollment center for a Transportation Security Administration program aimed at allowing expedited screening.

The center, on the third floor of the passenger terminal at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field, isn't scheduled to open until Monday, but airport staff began processing applications for several people who got word about the center and signed up for the PreCheck program.

Nikki Lovell of Little Rock was the first of 18 people who enrolled Friday. Formal approval will take another three or four weeks, but Lovell said she was glad to have the opportunity.

Quickly getting through airport security is a "huge deal when you are trying to get you and a 7-year-old and a 4-year-old through the airport security line," Lovell said after spending a few minutes filling out the paperwork. "My husband usually gets pre-checked because he flies a lot more than I do. When we fly together, he always gets to go through that line, and I'm waiting in the long line. I didn't know this was an option. So, this is great."

Lovell was eligible for a waiver of the $85 sign-up fee for a five-year membership that the airport is offering to the first 100 people who enroll to encourage people to sign up for the program. The more people enrolled in PreCheck means fewer lines at the security checkpoints, airport officials say.

"Given the number of people signing up today, I think we're going to go through the first 100 fairly quickly," said Ron Mathieu, Clinton National's top executive. "That is great news."

Clinton National becomes the 32nd airport out of the nation's 440 commercial service airports to offer an on-airport PreCheck enrollment center.

To date, almost 3,700 people have signed up for the program statewide through a handful of off-site enrollment centers, including one in Little Rock. But Clinton National officials wanted a way to make it easier to enroll more people, which they hope will result in shorter lines at the security checkpoints and an improved airport experience.

"One of the benefits is you can keep your laptop in your bag, you can keep your shoes on, you can keep a light jacket on and go through the specific PreCheck lane," Mathieu said. "It's a much better experience."

The program is available to U.S. citizens and lawful, permanent residents. Once approved, travelers will receive a Known Traveler Number and will have the opportunity to use PreCheck lanes at security checkpoints at more than 150 participating domestic airports and on 11 major airlines: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America. Travelers must enter their Known Traveler Number on each reservation they book.

TSA officials credit Mathieu with developing the model that allowed Clinton National to open an on-site enrollment center. Its center is housed in the same office and uses the same staff that the airport uses to process security badges for people employed by the airport, airlines and support companies, about 2,000 people in all.

"We've been working with TSA for a number of years to make this a reality," Mathieu said. "We use our staff on the airport, our equipment. It's a natural fit for us to be able to do that."

Otherwise, Clinton National wasn't large enough to qualify for the on-site enrollment center that a TSA contractor operates at other airports.

"Let us do it, let us get certified, test us and do all that," Mathieu added. "Because of our size, we didn't think our customers should get any less of an experience."

The enrollment center is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. People who want to enroll in the program are encouraged to make an appointment through the TSA website. Walk-ins are welcome, but they will be processed after people with appointments, airport officials said.

Metro on 06/27/2015

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