Travellers on All Nippon Airways (ANA) flights to the US can now apply for TSA Pre-check allowing expedited security clearance at all nine US airports to which the airline currently flies.
Among the key benefits of the TSA Pre-check system, which is managed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the US under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is the ability for travellers to clear security screening without the need to remove their shoes, belts and jackets from their person, or their laptop and liquids from their bag for separate scanning.
Travellers can enrol in the programme by applying at tsa.gov/precheck in order to be eligible when travelling to the US on ANA flights.
TSA Pre-check is also open to the following individuals: members of the Global Entry programme; members of the Nexus programme who are US or Canadian citizens or lawful US permanent residents; members of the Sentri programme who are US citizens or lawful US permanent residents; and active duty and civilian employees of the US Department of Defense.
ANA currently flies non-stop to Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington.
Few airlines outside of the US are approved by the TSA to join the programme, but while ANA is the first Japanese carrier to be allowed to do so, it is not first in Asia-Pacific. That title goes to fellow Star Alliance carrier Singapore Airlines, which was approved to join the programme earlier this year.
The Pre-Check service is a boon for ANA as it gears up to launch its third daily flight to Los Angeles from Tokyo later this month, one of a number of enhancements it is making to its US services.
Meanwhile the airline’s first Airbus A380 aircraft – which will sport a special “sea turtle livery” designed by a member of the public – will make its international debut flying between Tokyo and Honolulu in Hawaii in 2019.
