OAN Staff Jenna Lee
2:25 PM – Saturday, June 13, 2026
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced its launch of a new airport security initiative, TSA Gold +. The program could expand private companies’ involvement in passenger screening operations across the nation.
Announced in May, the implementation of the program follows a fraught past year of government shutdowns resulting in severe TSA staffing shortages and long airport security lines.
“As the next evolution of the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), TSA Gold+ is a transformative upgrade to offer airports the opportunity to ‘opt in’ to a public-private screening model tailored to their unique needs, ensuring continuity and operational stability even during federal government shutdowns,” the TSA said in a statement.
According to the House Homeland Security Committee, two government shutdowns during fiscal years 2025 and 2026 left TSA staff working without pay for nearly four months combined. This intense financial strain led to a severe staffing exodus, with more than 1,000 officers leaving the agency since February alone.
The TSA Gold+ initiative is a new public-private partnership intended to modernize airport screening technology, optimize checkpoint operations and overall traveler flow, according to the TSA Gold+ website.
At a congressional hearing on April 16th, Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill advocated for expanding the use of private screeners to mitigate the operational impact of future federal funding lapses.
TSA officially announced the program in a May 14th internal memo, just prior to hosting an industry day at its Springfield, Virginia headquarters on May 21st.
Unlike consumer-facing programs like TSA PreCheck or CLEAR, TSA Gold+ does not carry a direct cost for travelers. Instead, participating airports can leverage private-sector investments to upgrade staffing, technology and maintenance at no additional cost to passengers.
Travelers should not expect to see major changes immediately. While the program aims to streamline security checkpoints and reduce the federal agency’s budget behind the scenes, the physical screening rules remain under strict federal standards.
The agency highlighted that airports implementing these public-private partnerships can maintain normal operations during federal government shutdowns, bypassing sole dependence on traditional federal budget cycles.
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