TSA Unveils Gold+ Program in Major Shift Toward Private Airport Security

New plans from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), called TSA Gold+, could potentially transform airport security operations across the U.S.

TSA Gold+ sounds like a premium subscription service or an extension to PreCheck, but it is not. Instead, it is the moniker for a major shift toward private sector involvement in airport security that the TSA revealed to its workers in a private memo this week (first reported by Gate Access on Substack).

Currently, about 20 airports participate in the federal Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which allows them to contract private security firms to staff checkpoints. Under SPP, the federal government still owns and manages the security infrastructure, including scanners, while private-sector workers staff the lines. Airports including San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Kansas City International Airport (MCI) are part of that program.

Gold+ expands that model, allowing participating airports to not only staff checkpoints with contract workers, but also deploy and service privately owned screening technology. The TSA would transition to a purely regulatory role, ensuring that private operators meet federal security thresholds rather than managing day-to-day staffing or equipment.

The program follows one of the most volatile periods in the TSA’s 25-year history. A partial government shutdown earlier this year forced 61,000 TSA employees to work without pay, leading to widespread staffing bottlenecks and hours-long wait times at checkpoints across the U.S.

Proponents argue that a public-private partnership structure shields airport operations from future federal funding lapses, as private contractors remain funded during government shutdowns. Additionally, bypassing the federal procurement process could accelerate technology upgrades at checkpoints, allowing private operators to invest in cutting-edge scanners without navigating standard bureaucratic delays.

However, critics warn that Gold+ shifts critical national security responsibilities away from a government agency and into the hands of private corporations motivated by profit margins and the bottom line.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the labor union representing federal TSA officers, has already come out against the proposal.

The TSA will host an Industry Day on May 21 at its headquarters in Springfield, Virginia, to brief private vendors on the program. For now, participation in Gold+ remains completely voluntary for commercial airports.