Tampa International Airport will privatize most Transportation Security Administration operations just months after President Donald Trump unveiled a 2027 budget proposal that called for handing more airport security over to private companies.
In a statement to CNN on Monday, Tampa International Airport said it “opted in” to the TSA Gold+ program, a new public/private partnership screening program. TSA will still have regulatory oversight of the airport’s screening operations, and the checkpoints will have to follow TSA rules, but the employees will be hired and security equipment managed by a company instead of the federal government.
“TSA looks forward to working closely with our airport partners to implement enhancements that will benefit everyone who travels through a TSA Gold+ airport,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday. Participation in the new program is voluntary and requires airports to apply.
“TPA’s decision to join TSA Gold+ reflects the Airport’s strong commitment to modernization, innovation, and operational resilience in aviation security,” the airport told CNN. “The change to privatization not only reduces disruption risks caused by lapses in federal appropriations or government shutdowns but also allows greater flexibility in exploring new screening checkpoint infrastructure and technology to enhance the customer experience.”
The change is targeted for May 31, 2027, a TSA employee in Tampa said they were told during a town hall led by Adam Stahl, acting TSA deputy administrator. Many now face the difficult choice of applying to work at the private contractor, finding other government jobs, transferring to another airport, resigning or taking retirement earlier than they might have planned.
The latest White House budget proposal, released in April, would require small airports to enroll in TSA’s Screening Partnership Program, under which TSA pays for private screeners. The administration says the move would save $52 million and “begin reform of a troubled Federal agency.”
The Gold+ program expands upon an existing program that has been used by a handful of airports featuring privatized screening by also allowing them to manage the screening technology. Des Moines International Airport is “exploring” privatizing airport security in their new terminal under the TSA Gold+ program, the airport said in a statement.
