As travelers continue to face sprawling security lines across the US, one company is thriving amid the ongoing chaos.
Clear Secure, a biometric firm that allows travelers to bypass Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines at more than 60 airports in the US, has reportedly seen a jump in new sign-ups this month amid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.
Clear’s app saw 625% more downloads this Sunday compared with its daily average across January and February, according to the analytics firm Appfigures Intelligence. The company’s stock is also up 57% for the year, its highest value since it went public in 2021.
This is on top of gains seen even before the most recent shutdown: in the fourth quarter of 2025, the company saw its revenue up more than 16% and its total bookings up more than 25%.
Clear uses biometric technology, often a fingerprint or eye scan, to verify passengers’ identity and help them speed through the initial security process. Though it doesn’t allow passengers to bypass the actual TSA baggage security screening, it brings them to the front of the TSA line.
Airports across the country have been plunged into chaos since the partial government shutdown started earlier this year, leaving TSA employees to work without pay.
There are a handful of airports where even the $209 membership with Clear hasn’t been able to help with the sprawling security lines caused by the partial government shutdown.
The company said it has deployed extra staff to airports, a company spokesperson said, adding that its 3,500 ambassadors “remain fully staffed” and are helping the TSA with line management. Clear has donated about $200,000 in gas cards and grocery cards to security officers, the spokesperson said.
“On behalf of American travelers and TSA officers who are showing up to work without pay, we hope a resolution comes soon,” said Kyle McLaughlin, executive vice-president of aviation at Clear. “We are working hard to support all our stakeholders including airlines, airports, the TSA and most importantly, American travelers who deserve better.”’
Clear’s security lanes are installed through partnerships with individual airports, but the company has recently partnered with TSA to debut new electronic security gates that screen travelers using biometric technology without needing a human operator.
The company acknowledged that airport conditions beyond its control “temporarily affected service” for Clear members at some airports, including at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans international airport and the George Bush intercontinental airport in Houston.
“We recommend travelers check with their local airport for the latest update,” the company said.
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