TSA Gold+ airports expand to Tampa, Charleston and Des Moines
TSA told CBS News that three airports will join Gold+, a privatized screening program drawing union backlash over jobs and safety.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
The TSA Gold Plus airports rollout is set to bring privatized security screening to Tampa, Charleston and Des Moines, the Transportation Security Administration told CBS News.
The program, formally called TSA Gold+, keeps TSA in charge of security standards and operations while shifting passenger screening from federal workers to private contractors, according to CBS News.
The agency has projected launches for January 2027 at Des Moines, February 2027 at Charleston and May 2027 at Tampa, according to an email from TSA to the American Federation of Government Employees that was reviewed by CBS News. The email also referred to briefings at the airports about the program and its possible effect on employees.
What is TSA Gold+?
TSA Gold+ is an expansion of the Screening Partnership Program, which lets airports use private companies for security screening while remaining under federal supervision. TSA started that earlier program in 2004, and it now operates at 20 U.S. airports, including San Francisco International Airport and Kansas City International Airport, according to CBS News.
Julian Kheel, founder of the travel rewards site Points Path, told CBS News the newer Gold+ version mainly gives contractors a wider role, including control over screening technology.
TSA says on its Gold+ website that adding new screening technology through the program will speed up checkpoints and strengthen security. The agency says private investment can help airports adopt new systems faster, improving safety and the traveler experience.
A TSA spokesperson told CBS News that Gold+ gives airports another way to provide strong service while improving security, efficiency and the airport experience. The spokesperson also said TSA remains focused on steady operations and support for employees during the changeover.
CBS News reported that TSA did not answer a question about how it chooses private screening contractors.
Why is the union pushing back?
The American Federation of Government Employees, which says it represents 47,000 transportation security officers at 400 U.S. airports, has criticized Gold+ sharply. In a statement to CBS News, the union said removing TSA workers from screening would put public safety at risk.
AFGE national president Everett Kelley called the program a “major departure and step backward” from the screening system Congress created after the Sept. 11 attacks. He said changes this large should not happen without input from Congress, travelers, airport authorities and TSA employees.
Congress created TSA through the Aviation and Transportation Security Act in November 2001. Before that law, airlines were responsible for airport screening and often hired private companies for the work, the Government Accountability Office said in a 2005 report.
Kheel told CBS News the safety debate is broader than public versus private workers. He said TSA has long held both roles of writing checkpoint standards and staffing the checkpoints, which leaves the agency evaluating a system it also runs.
AFGE also warned that Gold+ could mean job cuts. The union pointed to the administration’s fiscal 2027 TSA budget, which includes plans to cut nearly 8,400 workers, including 2,462 transportation security officer jobs. AFGE said about half of those officer positions would be replaced through expanded privatization.
Kelley said AFGE will continue opposing proposals it believes threaten union jobs and the safety of the flying public.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.