Tampa, Charleston, Des Moines ditch TSA 2027

Tampa International Airport, Charleston International Airport and Des Moines International Airport are set to shift checkpoint screening to private contractors in 2027 under a new Transportation Security Administration program. TSA told CBS News on July 23 that the three airports had signed onto “TSA Gold+,” an expansion of the agency’s existing Screening Partnership Program. Under the model, private companies would run screening operations and manage checkpoint technology, while TSA would keep federal oversight of standards and procedures. TSA’s public Gold+ page says the program is intended to pair private screening contracts with faster technology deployment and other airport-specific changes. ### Which airports are changing, and when? CBS News reported that TSA listed January 2027 for Des Moines, February 2027 for Charleston and May 2027 for Tampa in an email to the American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing TSA officers. The report said TSA also held briefings at the three airports about the program and its effect on employees. Islands’ Thursday story named the same three airports and said the transition would begin in 2027. (cbsnews.com) July 20 is the date AFGE said TSA notified the union that it intended to launch Gold+ at the three airports next year. In a July 21 statement, AFGE said the plan would put for-profit contractors in charge of passenger screening and checkpoint technology at Tampa, Charleston and Des Moines. ### Does this mean TSA disappears from those checkpoints? (cbsnews.com) TSA says no. The agency’s Screening Partnership Program page says private companies at participating airports operate “under federal oversight” and must comply with all TSA screening procedures. TSA’s Gold+ page says the agency will continue to set aviation security standards using outcome-based measures, even as private operators manage both technology and screening staff. (afge.org) Twenty airports already use the older Screening Partnership Program, according to TSA’s factsheet and program page. Those airports include San Francisco International Airport and Kansas City International Airport, CBS News reported. TSA says commercial airports can apply through their local federal security director, and only companies on the agency’s existing contract vehicle can bid for the work. (tsa.gov) ### What would travelers actually notice? Julian Kheel, founder of travel site Points Path, told CBS News that Gold+ mostly expands what contractors are allowed to manage, including screening technology. TSA’s Gold+ page says travelers should expect “faster, easier screening” and access to newer equipment, though the agency has not publicly released airport-by-airport operating details for Tampa, Charleston or Des Moines. (tsa.gov) TSA’s current public guidance says screening rules themselves remain federal. That means ID checks, prohibited-items rules, TSA PreCheck procedures and other security requirements still come from TSA, not the contractor running the lane. ### Why is the plan drawing opposition? AFGE National President Everett Kelley called the Gold+ expansion a “major departure and step backward” in a statement provided to CBS News. (cbsnews.com) AFGE said the administration was expanding privatization without enough transparency and argued that the post-Sept. 11 federal screening model should remain in place. In congressional testimony published by the union, Kelley tied Gold+ to a broader dispute over TSA staffing and the fiscal 2027 budget. (tsa.gov) TSA, in its statement to CBS News, said Gold+ offers “a new way for airports to deliver exceptional service to every traveler” while advancing security and efficiency. The agency said it remained committed to operational stability and support for employees during the transition. ### What comes next at these three airports? January 2027 is the first projected Gold+ launch date, with Des Moines scheduled to go first, followed by Charleston in February and Tampa in May, according to TSA’s email cited by CBS News. (cbsnews.com) Before then, TSA must select screening contractors through its existing procurement system, and the three airports are expected to continue transition briefings with affected employees and local officials.