The Transportation Security Administration is actively considering allowing TSA PreCheck passengers to bring water bottles through security checkpoints at a select number of airports in the coming months, senior administration officials told CBS News on Wednesday.
The potential change would be rolled out initially to airports equipped with newer CT screening technology and automated detection capabilities that can distinguish water from other liquids and identify potential threats.
The officials did not say what specific airports may be included in the new program.
The TSA is not presently prepared to eliminate restrictions on all liquids, and the existing 3-1-1 rule, which says carry-on liquids generally must be in containers of 3.4 ounces or less, is still in effect.
While the technology to scan full bottles of liquid exists, the TSA has not yet acquired it at the scale needed to roll out nationwide, even just for PreCheck users. The agency does not have the funding for such a project.
The development comes days after the agency launched its Gateside by TSA program for PreCheck travelers. That program allows approved PreCheck members without airline tickets to pass through security and enter gate areas at 13 airports. The program is expected to expand after the TSA evaluates passenger volumes and operational effects of the initial rollout.
PreCheck is a program run by the U.S. government that allows travelers to bypass standard security lines and instead undergo an expedited screening process. Membership costs $85 or less for five years, depending on which authorized enrollment provider travelers use. Travelers undergo a security check before being approved. The shorter screening normally takes 10 minutes, according to the TSA.
