- Newark Liberty launched TSA eGates at Terminal C on September 2, 2026 for eligible United passengers.
- The system uses facial matching, not recognition, and deletes each photo immediately after verification.
- Only TSA PreCheck travelers with United’s Touchless ID opt-in can use the four-lane pilot.
Newark Liberty International Airport launched TSA eGates at United Airlines’ Terminal C on Tuesday, September 2, 2026, giving eligible travelers a first checkpoint that does not ask for a physical ID. Instead, the lane takes a photo and matches it to passport data already on file. The system changes the identity step before regular screening begins. The system is live only at Newark for now. It is limited to United passengers in Terminal C.
TSA Federal Security Director Greg Hawko described the pace this way:
“We now are screening people in under three seconds.”
He said the program uses facial matching, not facial recognition. The photo is immediately deleted. The image does not remain.
Only TSA PreCheck members flying United can use the lane. They must upload a passport to the United app, enter their passport information and Known Traveler Number, then opt in to Touchless ID. Without that opt-in, the gates stay closed. That keeps enrollment narrow. The lane is not open to everyone.
Travelers who skip it can use the traditional lanes beside the eGates, where staff still check IDs. The airport keeps the standard line open. Screening continues after the identity step. The biometric option is voluntary. No one is forced into it.
Four lanes are running in Terminal C. United officials said each set needs only one employee to operate, instead of the multiple staff members normally needed to check IDs and boarding passes. The new setup trims the front end. It also cuts the number of hands at the checkpoint. That is a noticeable shift.
The rollout stays narrow
The gates sit inside the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID effort, which the agency says lets passengers verify identity at select airports without showing a physical ID. The agency has also trialed eGates at Charlotte and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Newark is the latest test. The program is still limited. The rollout begins small.
Newark's rollout is concentrated in Terminal C because it is United's main Newark facility. That keeps the test tied to one airline's busiest local hub. The rest of the checkpoint does not change. The airport keeps the standard line in place. The lane only changes the first step.
The TSA says the biometric option is optional. Travelers can still choose the standard checkpoint and present an ID. The gates were jointly revealed by the agency and United Airlines. The airline helped shape the lane from the start. Nothing about the old line disappeared.
Greg Hawko said Newark is the first U.S. airport to receive “this particular version of the technology,” and he said he does not expect it to be the last. That puts the airport at the front of a narrow trial. More airports could follow. It starts here. The next test is the hard part.
