Three US Airports Are Ditching Federal TSA Screeners for Private Contractors— and the Union Is Furious: 'A Step Backwards'

Tampa International, Des Moines International and Charleston International will become the first U.S. airports to join the Transportation Security Administration’s new Gold+ private-screening model, drawing fierce opposition from the union representing federal airport screeners.

Private Screening Rollout Begins At Three Airports

The voluntary program expands TSA’s existing Screening Partnership Program, under which private contractors screen passengers and baggage at 20 airports, including San Francisco International. TSA describes Gold+ as a public-private partnership that will provide tailored operations, newer technology and greater stability during federal shutdowns.

Des Moines plans to transition in January 2027, followed by Charleston in February and Tampa in May. TSA will retain regulatory authority, but contractors would control checkpoint staffing and screening equipment.

Airport officials said the model could reduce disruptions like those seen during recent shutdowns, when TSA employees worked without pay and airport delays mounted. During the funding crisis, airports sought food and gift-card donations for screeners, while some checkpoints experienced hourslong lines.

Union Warns Privatization Could Weaken Security

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents about 47,000 TSA workers, called the expansion a "major departure" from the federal system Congress created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"Changes of this magnitude should not be made behind closed doors without the input of Congress, the flying public, the local airport authorities, and T.S.A. employees themselves," AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a press release on Tuesday.

Kelley warned that broader privatization would take aviation security "a step backwards."

"We don’t have to theorize about what that may look like because we have been through this before," he said.

Congress established TSA after the attacks to replace fragmented privately run airport screening. Private screening later returned through a federally supervised partnership program. Government Accountability Office guidance requires TSA to verify that participating airports provide security equal to or stronger than federal screening.

Workers Face Transition As Atlanta Studies Move

Des Moines officials said current officers could apply to remain at the airport under the selected contractor, with federal law requiring comparable compensation and benefits.

TSA said it would support affected employees and maintain stable operations during the transition. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is separately studying privatization after travelers faced waits of up to four hours during the shutdown, which also prompted airline leaders to demand a rapid funding resolution.

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