Overview
- The TSA has rolled out TSA Gold+, an extension of the Screening Partnership Program that lets private contractors run transportation security officer staffing and take responsibility for screening equipment at airports.
- The agency is holding an industry day and has public materials describing the program but has not yet finalized key rules such as timelines, procurement processes, or the exact nature of federal oversight.
- Unions led by the AFGE warn the change could cut pay and benefits for screeners, raise turnover, and leave workers vulnerable to missed pay during funding gaps because they would no longer be federal employees.
- TSA says Gold+ would enable faster deployment of new machines and AI-assisted screening to reduce wait times, but officials have not specified how private investment would accelerate installations or how AI tools would be tested and supervised.
- Gold+ builds on a decades-old SPP model used at about 20 airports, with San Francisco cited as an example that avoided shutdown delays, and the White House budget projects roughly $52 million in savings if privatization expands to smaller airports.