Airport security could soon look very different.
The Transportation Security Administration on Monday announced a new strategy, called Horizon 25, ahead of the agency’s 25th anniversary.
It was said that it would be demolished TSA Gold+, a Trump administration initiative intended to expand the use of private contractors for airport security.
Trump has said he believes privatization of aviation systems while maintaining government oversight would save money, improve efficiency, and increase safety.
However, the program faced fierce opposition from the TSA workers’ union.
Last month, the American Federation of Government Employees said the privatization “ignores the lessons” of airline tragedies.
“The administration’s actions should concern all Americans, and AFGE will continue to speak out against any proposal that threatens our members’ jobs and jeopardizes the safety of the flying public,” said Everett Kelley, the union’s national president.
Although TSA Gold+ has now been phased out, the agency is not giving up on its goals of further privatization.
The TSA said it plans to “accelerate public-private partnerships” with “an evolved Screening Partnership Program.”
The SPP allows that airports use private security companies for passenger and baggage screening. Twenty airports have joined, the largest of which is San Francisco International Airport.
The benefits of private contractors were perhaps most apparent to travelers during the government shutdowns in October 2025 and March 2026.
As the Department of Homeland Security faced a funding shortage, many TSA agents did not show up for work, leading to long delays at security checkpoints. Meanwhile, airports using the SPP were not affected.
The TSA press release said it believes using more private contractors will create “a safer, more secure and more efficient aviation system.”
However, it could also mean that thousands of TSA employees would lose their jobs, and private security companies could have weaker employee protections than federal employees.
The Horizon 25 strategy also plans to improve these TSA pre-checkin which passengers will be pre-screened and can use a faster security lane, although details about the changes are scarce.
The TSA also said it plans to streamline the acquisition of new technology and expand its capabilities to counter the threat from unmanned aircraft systems such as drones.
