Staff Report | DFW Newsflash | August 2020
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is running a three-month trial on thermal cameras. The cameras are expected to detect passengers who may be attempting to fly with a fever, a known symptom of COVID-19.
The trial will determine the effectiveness of the cameras, optimal locations for the cameras, and if the screening might affect the speed and efficiency of the various security checkpoints at Dallas Love Field.
The initial trial will not be applicable to individual travelers, but Southwest says it will let passengers and employees know if or when any procedural guidelines change. Scott Halfmann, Southwest’s president of safety and security, said the new undertaking “could be an important, additional layer of precaution that Southwest can offer customers.”
The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) is also considering a temperature-taking measure for passengers at other airports. However, health experts warn these tests would not detect individuals who have the virus but are asymptomatic.
