Press Release

 

October 25, 2006
AAAE's Transportation Security Clearinghouse Announces First Contract with Registered Traveler Service Provider. Verified Identity Pass - Operator of the Clear® Registered Traveler Program - Signs with TSC.

 

Alexandria, Va., The American Association of Airport Executives announced today that its Transportation Security Clearinghouse (TSC) has entered into a contract with a Registered Traveler (RT) service provider, Verified Identity Pass, Inc., which will use the TSC for the Central Information Management System (CIMS) for the Registered Traveler program. The contract formalizes the TSC cost structure and schedule originally agreed to by Verified Identity Pass, operator of the Clear® RT program, and other Registered Traveler service providers when they designated the TSC as the CIMS for the RT program in May. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has also designated the TSC as the CIMS for the RT program.

 

Under the terms of the contract, the TSC will have the CIMS fully operational by November 28, 2006. This will enable the launch of an interoperable Registered Traveler program, allowing travelers to use their RT cards seamlessly at participating airports around the nation.

 

AAAE President Charles Barclay said he was pleased that the TSC as the CIMS will enable the rapid and secure deployment of the Registered Traveler program at airports across the country. "AAAE's TSC has a proven record of success. We've reduced turnaround times and cost for aviation worker background checks, and we're looking forward to bringing the same great customer service and industry experience to RT service providers in the most cost-effective manner possible," Barclay said. "More importantly, a permanent, interoperable and nationwide Registered Traveler program will improve security and efficiency at airports for US air travelers and we're proud to play such an important role toward this goal."

 

Clear CEO Steven Brill said, "Our more than 30,000 customers will not only be able to use their Clear cards at our lanes in New York, Orlando, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and San Jose airports, but at any airport that chooses to launch a Registered Traveler program regardless of the service provider. We appreciate the efforts of the AAAE and TSA for making interoperability possible for all travelers in the RT program."

 

In addition to enabling a fully functional CIMS by November 28, 2006, the TSC has offered an interim transitional enrollment solution so that, pending TSA approval, which the TSC believes is appropriate, any Service Provider's RT applicants can proceed with enrollment as soon as possible. This will allow airports to begin to offer the processing and efficiency benefits of the Registered Traveler program prior to the busy holiday travel season.

 

As outlined in the Registered Traveler Interoperability Consortium's (RTIC) Technical Interoperability Specification, which was recently determined to meet TSA's requirements for interoperability, the CIMS is necessary to ensure interoperability, security, and efficiency in a national RT program. As the designated CIMS, TSC is responsible for several key functions, such as processing all records, interfacing with the TSA for background checks, ensuring a chain of trust from vetted enrollments and issued credentials, and sending alerts to all service providers regarding revoked credentials.