CHICAGO — Even on a good day, the line to get through customs at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport can be long and winding. But the federal agency that operates the checkpoints may have finally found a solution.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection gave WGN Investigates an exclusive look at changes to a program they hope will help ease the congestion in time for the holiday season.
Called the Global Entry Program, it now allows some passengers to clear customs in under five seconds, using dedicated kiosks and facial recognition software.
Passengers must go through a pre-approval process. Since last month, more than 4,000 people have been interviewed for the program at O’Hare and there’s a long waiting list.
A small number of travelers are using the program. Since early August, only 69,340, or about 10 percent of travelers at O’Hare used the global entry program.
More information and how to apply at U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Officials expect that number to increase in time, as more applications are vetted and approved.