TSA launches Horizon 25 to overhaul U.S. airport checkpoints with CT scanners and facial systems

Quick summary

The TSA launched its Horizon 25 Strategy on August 24, 2026, setting a decade-long roadmap for U.S. airport security. The plan centers on deploying computed tomography scanners, credential authentication terminals, and facial comparison systems at checkpoints nationwide. TSA PreCheck membership has surpassed 20 million active members, and the agency is accelerating risk-based screening ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary events.

Facial comparison remains optional — travelers can decline without penalty. The bigger shift is how identity verification is moving from manual podium checks toward automated systems that process most passengers before they reach a human officer.

Twenty-five years after the Aviation and Transportation Security Act created it, the TSA is using its anniversary not to look back but to file a forward notice: the checkpoint you walk through in 2027 will work differently than the one you walked through last year. The agency’s Horizon 25 Strategy, released August 24, 2026, is the clearest public signal yet of where that investment is going — and for international travelers arriving at U.S. gateway airports, the changes are already visible at some terminals.

TSA Administrator David P. Cummins framed the strategy around a “zero-fail” posture, citing threats that have moved well beyond the carry-on bag: cyber vulnerabilities, unmanned aircraft systems, and coordinated attacks on surface infrastructure. The agency’s roughly 60,000 employees now cover ports, railways, and pipelines alongside aviation — a scope most travelers don’t associate with the officer checking their boarding pass.

For passengers flying to or within the United States, the practical question is what Horizon 25 actually changes at the checkpoint, and how quickly. The answer involves three overlapping upgrades: smarter scanning hardware, automated identity verification, and a continued push to move low-risk travelers through dedicated lanes faster.

What Horizon 25 actually deploys at the checkpoint

The TSA’s Horizon 25 Strategy announcement names four hardware priorities: computed tomography scanners that generate 3D images of carry-on bags, upgraded advanced imaging technology for passenger screening, credential authentication terminals that read physical IDs directly rather than relying on officer judgment, and facial comparison systems that automate the identity check at the podium. Together, these are designed to reduce the manual bottlenecks that slow standard lanes while concentrating officer attention on genuinely ambiguous cases.

The facial comparison rollout draws the most scrutiny — and the most misunderstanding. According to TSA’s facial comparison technology fact sheet, participation is not mandatory. A traveler who declines the photo capture receives a standard manual ID check, with no additional delay or secondary screening triggered by the refusal itself. Under normal operating conditions, captured images are deleted immediately after verification; for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, deletion occurs within 24 hours of the scheduled departure.

Privacy governance sits with the Department of Homeland Security. TSA’s data protection FAQ confirms that facial comparison deployments operate under DHS Privacy Impact Assessments and Fair Information Practice Principles, which require data minimization and clear passenger notice. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) provides independent oversight of the program. TSA also states it uses facial recognition algorithms evaluated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with testing across demographic groups to address accuracy concerns.

Why risk-based screening is the real story behind the hardware

The technology announcements get the headlines, but the structural shift inside Horizon 25 is the continued expansion of risk-based screening — the idea that security resources should concentrate on travelers whose risk profile is genuinely unknown, not on the millions who have already been vetted. TSA PreCheck membership has crossed 20 million active members, sitting within a broader pool of more than 40 million travelers enrolled across all DHS Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry.

That scale matters operationally. When a large share of a terminal’s morning bank is already in the PreCheck lane, standard lane volume drops — which is when CT scanners and credential authentication terminals have the most impact on throughput. The two systems reinforce each other: more vetted travelers in expedited lanes means fewer people competing for the standard checkpoint’s attention.

Horizon 25 also signals deeper automation ahead, including potential international reciprocity arrangements that could extend expedited access to vetted foreign nationals arriving at U.S. airports. Nothing is confirmed on timelines, but the direction is clear. For travelers flying into major U.S. gateway airports during the 2026 FIFA World Cup — which will concentrate international arrivals at a handful of cities — the combination of higher volumes and new technology will be the real-world stress test of whether the strategy holds up.

Steps to take before the checkpoint changes around you

TSA’s technology rollout is already underway at select airports, and the pace will accelerate through 2026 and beyond — travelers who haven’t updated their approach to U.S. screening will encounter unfamiliar equipment with no preparation time.

• Enroll in TSA PreCheck now, not later. With 20 million members already in the program and World Cup travel volumes approaching, enrollment center wait times will increase. Apply at TSA.gov; the five-year membership costs $78 and covers more than 200 U.S. airports.
• Understand the facial comparison opt-out before you reach the podium. If you prefer a manual ID check, simply tell the officer before the camera activates. No explanation is required, and no secondary screening follows. Knowing this in advance prevents the hesitation that slows lanes for everyone behind you.
• Look for CAT-2 credential authentication terminals at the ID check station. These machines read your physical ID directly — insert the document face-down and wait for the green light. The process is faster than a manual check, and the terminal flags expired or altered documents that officers sometimes miss under pressure.
• If you hold Global Entry, verify your Known Traveler Number is current in all bookings. PreCheck benefits flow through the KTN attached to your reservation; a missing or mismatched number means standard lane regardless of your enrollment status.
• For international travelers arriving at U.S. airports during World Cup 2026: expect elevated staffing and technology at gateway airports, but also higher volumes. Build connection time accordingly — 90 minutes minimum for international-to-domestic connections at major hubs during peak event windows.

Watch: TSA’s airport-by-airport CT scanner deployment schedule — when the agency announces which terminals receive hardware in the next procurement cycle, it will indicate which airports get the laptop-stays-in-bag benefit first.

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