TSA weighs privatizing some airport screening functions to avoid delays

Further privatizing Transportation Security Administration screening functions could be a way to prevent travel disruptions in the future, TSA's deputy administrator suggested in a hearing before Congress.

Ha Nguyen McNeill's statement came during an April 16 hearing of the House Appropriations Committee related to the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. During the shutdown, TSA officers and other DHS employees missed multiple paychecks before the Trump administration gave them back pay through an executive order.

"As of today, TSA has been shut down for 109 days, nearly 60% of FY26. If this year demonstrates anything, it is that the TSA workforce and our operations cannot depend on predictable Congressional funding," Nguyen McNeill told the committee.

Nguyen McNeill said that TSA screening functions are already privatized at some airports under the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), and that participating airports were largely shielded from the long security lines caused by the shutdown.

"TSA screening workforce's unwavering commitment to the mission has been on full display during this challenging year. Expanding SPP is one of the many avenues the Trump administration to help protect our screening workforce from lapses in congressional appropriations," the deputy administrator said. "Until recently, TSA employees had missed nearly 1 billion in paychecks this fiscal year. In contrast, SPP screeners have not yet missed a paycheck."  

Some Republicans in Congress have long favored privatizing TSA functions, and Nguyen McNeill said that it would not reduce the agency's effectiveness.

"The screening partnership program, which has been in existence since TSA's founding, exemplifies how collaboration with the private sector can be leveraged to optimize aviation security. Under SPP, TSA enters into a contract with an approved private company to provide certified screeners to perform screening at commercial airports," she said. "SPP airports are required to meet or exceed the same rigorous security standards as airports with federalized screeners and are subject to robust oversight from TSA." 

Still, opponents – including the Association of Federal Government Employees, the union that represents TSA agents – say that privatization would add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy and increase costs.

"TSA’s only reason for existence is to protect air travelers from terrorists who still see aviation as a viable target to inflict widespread fear and chaos," the union said in a 2025 writeup. "Unlike TSA, private screening companies are in this business to make money. Their main concern is profit."

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York, and you can reach him at [email protected].