"FAA takes first swipe at smart cards"

Tuesday, May 28, 2002

FAA takes first swipe at smart cards 
By Margaret Kane
News.com  


The Federal Aviation Administration will run a trial program this summer
issuing smart cards to its employees and some contract workers. 
The FAA will put out a request for proposal in the next week or two and
hopes to begin issuing cards later this summer, said spokeswoman Tammy
Jones.  

The cards will initially be used as ID badges, but the FAA plans to add
biometric data and eventually use the cards to control access to
locations and computers, she said. 

"We're going to use the program to get lessons learned and see where we
go from there," she said. "We'll evaluate it and determine the best
approach for implementing smart cards." 

The FAA is part of the team working with the Transportation Security
Administration on developing a standard for smart cards that could
eventually be applied throughout the Department of Transportation. The
Aviation Security Act, signed by President George Bush in November,
required the DOT to "work with airport operators to strengthen access
control points in secured areas" and to consider using biometric data.


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