This summer, Tampa International Airport has become the latest destination in the country to offer a federal program designed to speed international travelers through customs and passport checks at the airport.
Called Global Entry, travelers returning from overseas to TIA can now skip long lines for customs and passport control by scanning their passports and fingerprints at a kiosk, and electronically filling out the customs declaration. The traveler then presents a printed receipt to security officers in a process that officials say takes just a few minutes.
Tampa began offering the service in late May, but it received more attention today as Florida Sen. Bill Nelson took a quick photo op at TIA Monday afternoon.
"You dreaded coming back home with customs because it was such a laborious process," Nelson told reporters. "This will literally take just a few minutes."
This article appears in Jul 18-24, 2013.