But fast lanes are delayed at Atlanta

The Registered Traveler (RT) program of expedited airport security clearance continues its slow expansion to more airports. Verified Identity Pass, operator of the Clear program for RT membership, said its next location will be Salt Lake City International Airport, a Delta hub that selected Clear as the local program vendor. The new RT lanes, which should open before summer, will be available for “all airlines operating from Salt Lake City, and their passengers,” the company said. RT program membership costs $100; it requires individuals to go through a pre-clearance process with the Transportation Security Administration and provides them with a biometric ID that includes a digital fingerprint or iris scan. Verified Identity Pass said that it now has more than 140,000 registered participants in Clear. Meanwhile, officials at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport said they are moving ahead with plans to increase the number of lanes at ATL’s Terminal North security checkpoint from three to six and add four new lanes to Terminal South. The work should be completed before the end of this summer. However, as a result of the expansion, “Airport management has decided to defer the decision on the implementation of the registered traveler program until the effectiveness of the new lanes can be evaluated,” the airport said in a statement.