TSA Privatizes Security, Because Nothing Says Safety Like Contractors on Payroll
KEY POINTS
- •After prolonged airport chaos during the March 2026 government shutdown, TSA launched Gold+, its new public-private security program.
- •The program starts in early 2027 at Des Moines, Charleston, and Tampa airports, expanding on 20 airports already using private screeners.
- •The AFGE union criticized this move, claiming it risks screener jobs and public safety reminiscent of lessons from 9/11.
Remember March 2026, when TSA lines resembled medieval queues for the plague vaccine thanks to agents skipping paychecks during the government shutdown? Well, TSA’s grand solution is TSA Gold+, a sparkling new public-private partnership launching in January 2027 at Des Moines, then Charleston and Tampa. It promises to 'streamline' chaos by letting private contractors handle screening and tech, with TSA occasionally looking over their shoulder. Meanwhile, 20 airports from Atlantic City to Yellowstone have quietly enjoyed normal wait times under private screeners via the Screening Partnership Program (SPP). Not everyone's clapping though—AFGE, union veterans of 9/11 scare stories, warn that privatization is a fool’s errand threatening jobs and safety like a Broadway drama where everyone forgets their lines.
Share the Story
(1 of 3)When TSA agents don’t get paid, lines become epic; solution? Pay strangers to pretend they’re TSA agents with some govt babysitting. What could possibly go wrong?
Three airports hand security to private firms, because nothing says 'safe skies' like contractors chasing profit while the government just supervises.
TSA Gold+ is like giving your car keys to a valet who's never seen a steering wheel, but hey—there’s 'revenue opportunities' so buckle up.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 7/23/2026 | Author: Talia Lakritz
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