Washington\u00a0\u2014\u00a0\n <\/p>\n
\n 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.\n <\/p>\n
\n In a statement to CNN on Monday, Tampa International Airport said it \u201copted in\u201d to the TSA Gold+ program, a new public\/private partnership screening program. TSA will still have regulatory oversight of the airport\u2019s 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.\n <\/p>\n
\n Participation in the new program is voluntary and requires airports to apply.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cTPA\u2019s decision to join TSA Gold+ reflects the Airport\u2019s strong commitment to modernization, innovation, and operational resilience in aviation security,\u201d the airport told CNN. \u201cThe 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.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n The news was first reported by aviation newsletter Gate Access<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n The change is targeted for May 31, 2027, a TSA employee in Tampa said they were told during a town hall Monday 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.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cSome employees were sad, some were crying and others were visibly upset,\u201d the staffer said, noting that workers were told in May that the airport had put in an application for the TSA Gold+ program. \u201cOthers put in their retirement paperwork right away.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n TSA officers in Tampa will get the first right of refusal for jobs when a private security vendor is selected, the employee was told.\n <\/p>\n \n The latest White House budget proposal, released in April<\/a>, would require small airports to enroll in TSA\u2019s Screening Partnership Program<\/a>, under which TSA pays for private screeners. The administration says the move would save $52 million and \u201cbegin reform of a troubled Federal agency.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n 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.\n <\/p>\n \n There are 20 airports in the United States<\/a> that have private companies operating the security checkpoints supervised by the TSA under the Screening Partnership Program<\/a>. San Francisco International, Kansas City International, Orlando Sanford and 17 smaller airports participate.\n <\/p>\n