Passenger-Centric Innovation in Airport Security
Passenger-Centric Innovation in Airport Security
How data-driven insights reshape checkpoint efficiency and the traveler experience
Modern airport security checkpoints face the dual challenge of ensuring the highest safety standards while maintaining passenger flow and comfort. The TSA’s Power of Passengers Challenge highlighted the urgent need for solutions that put the traveler at the center of checkpoint design. Point FWD, in collaboration with SecureInsights, proposed a data-driven approach that transforms raw security data into actionable insights, enabling airports to achieve operational efficiency while improving the passenger journey.
Authors
Gunther van Adrichem
Founder & Executive Director
Gva@pointfwd.com
Robin van Gemert
Managing Director
Robin@pointfwd.com
Article highlights
Passenger-first design: Using checkpoint and passenger data to identify bottlenecks and streamline flow.
Operational efficiency: Turning data into practical actions that balance security, staffing, and passenger comfort.
Resilient processes: Flexible solutions supporting recovery and adaptation to future disruptions.
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Has this article made you curious about how your organisation can optimize security checkpoints with the Point FWD Check Point Insight Tool (CIT)? Point FWD, we are happy to help and answer in case-specific questions about simulations in security checkpoints that arise. We are open for demo requests and like to think with you in the solutions that can be brought with our security checkpoint simulation capability.
Proud winners of the TSA Power of Passengers Challenge
Point FWD and SecureInsights are honored and delighted to have been awarded First Place in Transportation Security Administration and TechConnectVentures “Power of Passengers Challenge”.
Our winning submission for Operational Efficiency adapts our Checkpoint Insight Tool to optimize and enhance checkpoint security screening at US airports.
Curious about the challenge?
Airport security checkpoints generate vast amounts of data — yet much of it remains underutilized. By analyzing both existing system data and new passenger-centric metrics, such as divestment times and journey flow, it becomes possible to build a complete operational picture. This enables targeted improvements, from identifying delays to rebalancing staff deployment, all while maintaining strict compliance with security standards.
The value of this approach lies in its ability to connect passenger experience with operational realities. Instead of focusing solely on throughput or staffing numbers, the model integrates how passengers interact with the process itself, ensuring that operational decisions directly improve both efficiency and traveler satisfaction.
The TSA challenge underlined the importance of resilience — not only in managing recovery from Covid-19 but also in preparing for future disruptions. By building adaptable, passenger-first processes supported by clear data insights, airports can move toward a security model that is safer, smarter, and more human-centered.
Our solution
The core of the solution lies in putting the passenger at the centre of the checkpoint. By mapping the journey in detail, from divesting to clearance, operational teams can uncover bottlenecks that may otherwise go unnoticed. For instance, understanding how long passengers spend preparing for screening can provide as much value as measuring throughput numbers.
This approach creates a feedback loop where data doesn’t just describe performance, but actively guides operational improvements. It enables airports to adjust processes, reconfigure checkpoints, and optimize staff deployment, resulting in both smoother passenger flows and greater resilience in day-to-day operations.
By combining a passenger-first philosophy with reliable process data, airports gain a decision-making framework that supports long-term efficiency, adaptability, and a consistently improved passenger experience.
The key element in our approach is to put the Passenger First, capturing the full passenger journey throughout the security screening process. This way, bottlenecks can be identified and can be related to system performance if necessary, resulting in adequate actions to optimize security checkpoint process situations.