Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airports Council International and the International Air Transport Association designating ATL as the first airport in the United States to participate in the Smart Security project. The memorandum was signed at the ACI North America/World Annual General Assembly Conference and Exhibition in Montreal.

The Smart Security project is a joint program between ACI and IATA, on behalf of their respective members and in collaboration with governments and industry stakeholders, that aims to define new concepts in passenger security screening at airports. The program’s goal is to strengthen aviation security while increasing operational efficiency and improving the passenger experience. Signatories expect the Atlanta scope of the project to improve the checkpoint environment, including queuing and repacking areas; to implement passenger tracking and queue management; and to test innovative security lane configuration, including automation and design.

The participants’ intention is to share information and expertise on innovations in passenger and cabin baggage screening and to conduct practical operational testing and evaluation of Smart Security components at ATL. Trials will be conducted in collaboration with the Transportation Security Administration.

“We are honored to become the first airport in the United States to participate in the Smart Security project,” said Roosevelt Council Jr., interim general manager at ATL. “Participating in the program will allow us to obtain vital data that will further increase operational efficiency here in Atlanta and will provide guidance and direction for other airports across the country.”

“The 2015 ACI World Airport Traffic Report ranks ATL as the world’s busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic,” said Angela Gittens, director general of ACI World. “As such, the results and lessons learned from ATL’s Smart Security pilot will make an invaluable contribution to the project and the Smart Security Guidance Material, which will ultimately benefit all airports in the deployment of Smart Security concepts.”

“Smart Security solutions have been successfully implemented in airports across Europe with significant benefits to all stakeholders. And ongoing trials in Australia, the Middle East and Canada are looking positive,” said Nick Careen, senior vice president for Airports, Passenger, Cargo and Security at IATA. “We are excited to see ATL assuming a leadership role in bringing these concepts to the United States. This partnership is an important step toward realizing a new global model of airport security that will improve the experience for passengers while boosting the efficiency of security checkpoints.”