Clear rolls out biometric eGates at MIA ahead of 2026 World Cup surge

Clear has introduced biometric eGates at two of Miami International Airport’s busiest security checkpoints. These launched ahead of the winter holiday travel rush and in preparation for the influx of visitors expected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The new system allows Clear+ members to verify their identity in under five seconds, skipping the traditional TSA podium and moving directly to physical screening. One of the busiest airports in the U.S., the rollout of biometrics-enabled air travel is picking up momentum.

The company says the eGates mark a major step forward in automating airport security at a time when U.S. travel volumes are hitting record highs. The Transportation Security Administration recently reported its busiest day ever, screening more than 3.1 million passengers.

Miami International Airport (MIA) added Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP) system, which integrates SITA’s Smart Path face biometric system, in November. A release said it was the single largest deployment of automated passport screening in the country.

A growing list of airports across the U.S. are adding biometric boarding, with vendors such as iProov, Paravision and Aware powering the transformation. Initiatives are taking place in airports in Orlando, Houston and Oklahoma City.

Clear and the TSA ran pilots at Atlanta-Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Washington Reagan National Airport and Seattle-Tacoma Airport in 2025. “This partnership with TSA is a powerful example of how public and private sectors can work together to enhance security and improve the aviation ecosystem,” Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said in August.

Clear said the new rollout is part of a broader effort to help travellers “win the day of travel” with an eye on upcoming events including the World Cup and the America 250 celebrations in 2027, both expected to draw millions of visitors to the U.S.

The pilot program is positioned as a public–private partnership that will help TSA expand identity verification capacity ahead of the World Cup, when airport infrastructure is expected to face unprecedented strain.

More than 20 million international visitors are projected to travel to the U.S. for the tournament, alongside surging domestic demand in host cities. The eGates use real‑time face biometric matching technology to compare a traveller’s live image with their identity document and boarding pass.

TSA maintains full operational control over the process with gate activation, security vetting and enforcement of federal requirements. Clear says it transmits only limited data — such as a live photo, boarding‑pass details, and the ID photo used during enrollment — to support the verification process.

Once a traveller’s identity is confirmed, they proceed directly to physical screening, bypassing the TSA podium while still undergoing all standard security checks.

Article Topics

ABC gates  |  airport biometrics  |  biometric matching  |  biometrics  |  CLEAR  |  face biometrics  |  identity verification  |  passenger processing  |  PreCheck Touchless ID  |  TSA