Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, issued the following statement in response to the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) announcement that it will soon expand its Pre? traveler screening program to 60 more airports nationwide:

“The travel community applauds this move to dramatically expand the Pre? program, which already has immensely benefitted the traveler experience while bolstering aviation security and the national economy. We are grateful to Administrator John Pistole and the TSA for so aggressively getting behind this win-win program.

“A decade ago, the widespread assumption was that we couldn’t enjoy sound security and passenger convenience at the same time. Pre?™ has given us the evidence that that’s not the case. By letting low-risk passengers pre-submit their personal information to speed up the screening process, TSA has provided the tools to get passengers through the nation’s airports more quickly and safely. Given that travel is a $2.0 trillion industry that supports one out of every eight jobs, Pre?™ is a program that benefits not just travelers, but the country as a whole.

“This intelligence-driven, risk-based system is the new standard in government policy innovation. TSA is to be commended for so quickly putting in place the infrastructure—screening lanes and participating airlines—so that the service will soon be available at 100 of our largest airports. We in the industry stand ready to assist with the next crucial step: building up passenger participation and enrollment well beyond the 15 million travelers who have already availed themselves of the service.”

U.S. Travel Association, www.ustravel.org