I-Journey

TSA unveiled its “Gold+” program earlier this year, and two airports have now become the first to formally opt in: Tampa International and Des Moines International will each transition their checkpoints to private contractors, who will manage both screening staff and technology while TSA provides oversight. Charleston International Airport in South Carolina is reportedly pursuing a transition of its own.

Gold+ builds on an existing but lesser-known program: the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which has quietly allowed a small number of U.S. airports to opt out of federalized screening for years. About 20 airports currently participate. Gold+ pairs an expanded version of that program with what TSA calls its “innovation authorities,” intended to fast-track new screening technology at participating checkpoints.

The push comes with real money behind it: federal budget proposals would increase SPP funding by roughly $477 million, offset by a $529 million reduction in costs and benefits for federal Transportation Security Officers. It also follows a stretch of high-profile checkpoint delays and staffing shortages earlier this year, which has fueled airport interest in the private alternative. The federal employees’ union representing TSA officers has pushed back, arguing that oversight and accountability are harder to guarantee under contractor-run security.

For travelers, the day-to-day experience at Gold+ airports is expected to look largely the same — same checkpoint procedures, same TSA rules — with the change happening behind the scenes in who runs the operation.

Source: CNN  ·  Additional coverage: NPR