The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is set to introduce a new program that will allow private contractors to manage security screening at three U.S. airports in the coming months.
The program, known as TSA Gold Plus, has been launched by the Trump administration and will be implemented at Tampa International Airport, Charleston International Airport, and Des Moines International Airport. Under the program, private companies will partner with the TSA to manage security checkpoints and the officers that work them.
Supporters of the program argue that it will help modernize and speed up airport security, as well as reduce the risk of long backups during government shutdowns. However, critics have raised concerns that expanding privatized security to more airports presents security risks.
The TSA says it will maintain strict oversight at airports that opt in to private screening and that all current security standards will remain in place. The agency would have to certify all technology used by screening partners, and would continue to have some TSA personnel on hand at those airports.
The union representing TSA workers is raising alarm bells about the new program, citing concerns that relying on private security contractors ignores lessons learned from the 9/11 attacks and other airline tragedies.
The TSA was created nearly 25 years ago in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and standardized airport security nationwide. Some leaders have argued that private companies running airport security checkpoints could be motivated to cut costs and corners to boost profits.
The program is part of a broader effort by the White House to expand the use of private airport security screeners, with the Trump administration proposing to expand the TSA's Screening Partnership Program to many of the nation's smaller airports.
The impact of the program on travelers remains to be seen, as does the number of airports that will ultimately opt in to private screening. However, the introduction of TSA Gold Plus marks a significant shift in the way airport security is managed in the United States.
There are currently at least 20 U.S. airports that have security screeners that technically work for third parties, not the TSA, through the agency's Screening Partnership Program. However, participating airports in the TSA Gold Plus program would have both security personnel and screening equipment managed by private companies.
The TSA has received a lot of interest from airports considering the program, and it remains to be seen how many will ultimately opt in. In theory, travelers shouldn't notice much difference in the security experience at airports participating in the program.
