Expedited screening at US airports by Singapore Airlines now

Singapore Airlines has now become the first Asian carrier to be added to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Precheck programme in the United States. By being included in this programme Singapore’s national airline will now be able to offer expedited security screening to eligible passengers visiting USA. Six more airlines which recently became part of TSA Precheck programme include Turkish Airlines, Swift Air, Silver Airways, InterCaribbean Airways, Dominican Wings and Copa Airlines. A total of 37 U.S. domestic and international carriers come under this programme.

Media reports said that the checkpoint wait times are significantly reduced for low-risk frequent travelers, and they are also able to enjoy other benefits that come under the TSA Precheck programme. The citizens of the United States and legal permanent residents of the country are usually enrolled in the TSA Precheck programme. However, non-U.S. citizens can also become part of this programme. This can be done with the help of Customs Border Protection trusted traveler programmes, such as Sentri, Nexus and Global Entry. Under this expedited security screening the passengers are required to make use of a separate lane during their departure. They also don’t have to undergo the tedious process of removing their shoes, belts, jackets, liquids and laptops.

According to the reports, the citizens of Singapore will now become eligible for submitting application for the Global Entry Programme after paying a non-refundable fee. The applicants after passing the TSA Precheck programme scrutiny or through other trusted traveler programmes would be provided a Known Traveler Number (KTN), which needs to be furnished to the airline when booking tickets or during check-in. The passengers would be able to print a boarding pass on their own or display boarding pass on their smartphones. Apart from Singapore, the citizens of several other countries are also eligible for this programme, such as Mexico, UK, South Korea, Panama, Netherlands, Germany and Colombia. The TSA Precheck programme is going to be implemented by Singapore Airlines from June 2017 onwards.