Quick screening extended to international airlines

NEW YORK - The Transportation Security Administration is expanding its PreCheck expedited screening program to passengers on international airlines.

Air Canada on Tuesday became the first international carrier to participate, with TSA officials saying other foreign airlines would soon sign on.

Airlines need to first update their computer systems to embed extra information in their boarding pass barcodes as well as printing a PreCheck logo. Air Canada operates to more points to the U.S. than any other foreign carrier.

Passengers in PreCheck get to leave on their shoes, belt, and light jackets, keep liquids and laptops in their bags and use a standard metal detector, not the full-body scanners. The TSA can process twice as many passengers with PreCheck in the same time it takes to screen one person in a normal lane.