Three airports plan to ditch T.S.A. agents amid push for private security

What This is

• Tampa International, Des Moines International, and Charleston International plan to replace TSA checkpoint screeners with private contractors under a new TSA model called Gold+.
• Under Gold+, a private company would run most checkpoint staffing and day-to-day screening functions, while TSA keeps regulatory oversight of security standards.
• Airport officials say the switch is meant to reduce disruptions from staffing crises and speed up access to new screening technology.
• Tampa says its shift to the Gold+ model is targeted for May 31, 2027.
• The change builds on TSA’s Screening Partnership Program, which allows airports to use private screeners instead of federal employees.
• The union representing TSA workers has warned that expanding private screening could weaken the federal workforce and raise concerns about privatizing security roles.
• President Trump’s nominee to lead TSA, David Cummins, told senators expanding private screening would be “pro-worker” and would not threaten TSA’s workforce.
• Cummins said current TSA employees would have a right of first refusal for private-screening jobs and pledged to focus on persistent staffing and morale problems.

Why This Matters

• It could change who is accountable when something goes wrong at airport checkpoints, even if TSA still sets the rules.
• It tests whether private contractors can recruit, train, and keep screeners while maintaining consistent security and customer service.
• It may reshape pay, job stability, and career paths for thousands of frontline screening workers.
• If the model spreads, it could move a larger share of day-to-day aviation security from government employees to private firms.