Biometrics tested at airport

The Transportation Security Administration is testing a new system to secure lockers at airports using fingerprints. If the federal government adopts the biometrics system, lockers that were shut down after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 could be reopened for use.

The trial is being conducted at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. The locks, made by St. Paul-based Smarte Carte, use a fingerprint instead of a key to secure the lockers. After Sept. 11, the federal government forbid the use or installation of lockers at airports.