After a fraught past year of government shutdowns leading to long airport security lines, the Transportation Security Administration is launching a new public-private partnership program called TSA Gold+.
As first reported by Gate Access, TSA shared an internal memo with employees on May 14 announcing the new program as an “innovative extension” of the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which currently contracts with private companies to operate the security screening of air passengers at 20 U.S. airports under TSA guidelines.
“As TSA approaches its 25th anniversary, rising travel volumes, evolving threats, and funding challenges present an opportunity to re-imagine aviation security,” said the official government website for TSA Gold+.
TSA did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
Earlier this year, the most recent partial government shutdown left 61,000 TSA workers without a collective $1 billion in paychecks and hours-long security checkpoint lines. To alleviate the pressure, President Donald Trump signed an unprecedented order on March 27 to reroute federal funds to pay airport security workers.
At an April 16 hearing, TSA Deputy Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill suggested privatizing TSA screenings to avoid future funding lapses and widespread travel disruptions. While SPP is already active, TSA Gold+ is another step toward public-private partnerships.
Here’s what travelers should know about TSA Gold+.
According to the TSA Gold+ website, this program is “a new public-private partnership aimed at modernizing aviation security at select airports across the United States.” It will expand upon the current SPP model by redirecting funds into long-term partnerships with “leading industry operators” with oversight from TSA.
Airports can opt in to TSA Gold+ to receive a tailored security screening service based on their needs and space, with support from TSA and private vendors. These improvements won’t come at an additional cost to the airports, as that’s managed by the industry partners.
Not everyone is in favor of TSA moving closer to privatization. Some opponents, such as the Association of Federal Government Employees, a union representing TSA agents, say TSA’s main goal is to protect air travelers, whereas they say private companies focus on profit.
Passengers shouldn’t see major changes immediately, but the program’s goal is to streamline airport security screenings while also reducing the federal agency’s budget, according to the TSA Gold+ website.

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