TSA scraps Gold+ private screening program, folds plans into new strategy

The Transportation Security Administration has scrapped Gold+, a program launched in May that would have let private contractors take on broader airport security operations beyond passenger screening. The agency announced the move as part of what it calls its Horizon 25 Strategy, meant to modernize checkpoints, improve traveler experience, and speed up adoption of new screening technology.

An updated version of the long-running Screening Partnership Program will take Gold+'s place, according to the agency. That older program has been in place since 2004 and allows eligible airports to hire private firms for checkpoint screening duties under continued federal oversight. Gold+ had been designed to go further, extending private involvement to other operational areas and specialized equipment, while still requiring contracted staff to meet TSA standards.

No airport had completed a transition to Gold+ before it was scrapped. Still, interest had been building. Tampa International Airport and Charleston International Airport both told a reporter they had already opted into the program. Des Moines International Airport said it was weighing whether to join.

The agency did not detail how the revised Screening Partnership Program will differ in practice from Gold+. It said only that the change is meant to make better use of private-sector involvement in checkpoint and broader security operations. What happens to the commitments already made by participating airports is unclear, and it is not known whether their planned arrangements will simply be absorbed into the revamped program.

The announcement comes amid a wider push by the TSA to overhaul how airport security is delivered, with an emphasis on faster technology procurement and a smoother passenger experience alongside continued private-sector participation.