The long-awaited enforcement of the REAL ID Act has finally taken effect, with airports across the country, including Nashville International Airport (BNA), starting to require REAL ID-compliant identification for domestic air travel. According to TSA spokesperson Mark Howell, the transition came without significant hiccups yesterday. "Operations are running as normal. You wouldn’t know that there was a change really today," Howell said, as WSMV reports.
Travelers at BNA seemed to have taken the enforcement in stride, the skies proving clearer than expected, with reports indicating that more than 80% of air travelers nationwide bore the stamp of compliance on their IDs. Despite this readiness, roughly 10% arriving at BNA were found without the appropriate identification, a figure that, nevertheless, sits comfortably below the anticipated national average, as NewsChannel 5 notes.
Witness to the rare instances of oversight stood one man at BNA carrying his birth certificate, a document, to his dismay, not accepted as valid identification for flight. His niece, Ashlyn Elford, conveyed his frustration: "He's sweating about it. His license just isn't in yet, so he has his birth certificate and some other documentation to try," The Tennessean detailed in their coverage.
For those caught unprepared, the TSA promised not to strand travelers. Instead, a more time-consuming, multi-step identity confirmation process awaits, varying at each encounter to maintain unpredictability, "The additional screening is going to be random and a little bit unpredictable. So it’s not the same thing every time. We don’t want people to know what’s coming. So you’ll find out really when you get into the checkpoint," Howell indicated, a quote gleaned by WSMV. The TSA advises arriving three hours early for those without a compliant ID, and despite the setbacks, officers are accepting a range of photo IDs, even if expired for less than two years, to ease the transition.
The REAL ID Act, stemming from the aftermath of 9/11, was passed by Congress in 2005. After multiple deferrals due to various reasons including the pandemic, the final enforcement date was cemented yesterday. With six years of availability in Tennessee, most have managed to replace their old licenses with the new REAL ID, reported NewsChannel 5.
