Long security lines Sneak into the baggage claim areas And parking at some US airports this weekend, a possible indicator of more widespread travel problems as the latest events Government shutdown It continues.
This kind of disruption, while not yet widespread, is not a concern typically seen at San Francisco International Airport, the largest of nearly two dozen U.S. airports where checkpoints are operated by private contractors under a little-used federal program that allows airports to outsource security screenings while maintaining TSA oversight.
Because contractor wages come from a federal contract, they often continue even when the government shuts down.
“The funds have already been allocated, the payments have already been made, and that continues without interruption,” Doug Yakel, a spokesman for the Serious Fraud Office, told The Associated Press. “This is a very beautiful place.”
This discrepancy draws attention to a long-standing debate in the aviation industry: Can private contractors working under TSA provide a temporary alternative and protect airport security operations from political impasses that could disrupt air travel in the United States?
Some aviation experts see the TSA screening program as a potential model for keeping security lines moving with fewer disruptions during lockdowns. At SFO, this system has helped maintain inspections over the past year Record closing for 43 daysYakel said.
But critics warn that privatization is not a magic solution and could lead to new risks. The union representing federal examiners says shifting operations to private companies could erode job protections and reduce wages and benefits for workers. Already facing high turnover amid difficult circumstances.
The TSA Screening Partnership Program allows airports to use private security companies selected by the federal government to operate checkpoints while TSA retains authority over procedures and oversight. The agency says private security screeners receive the same security background check and must meet the same medical requirements as prospective federal security screeners.
In addition to SFO, other participating airports include Kansas City International Airport, Atlantic City International Airport, and Orlando Sanford International Airport.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of the nation’s nearly 400 commercial airports rely on federal screening officers who are hired directly by the TSA. During lockdown periods, these workers Must continue to report for duty Even though they stop getting paid — a dynamic that has historically led to higher absenteeism and slow-moving checkpoints the longer the lockdown lasts.
Current partial closure It affects only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Transportation Security Administration. Democrats in Congress refused to fund the department because of objections to immigration enforcement methods. The break marks the third shutdown in less than a year to leave TSA workers temporarily without pay — and once the government reopens, they will have to wait for back pay.
These disruptions can ripple through the travel system, creating cascading issues across already crowded flight schedules. The breed is Particularly acute at this time of year As airlines and airports prepare for what they expect to be one of the busiest spring break travel seasons ever.
Aviation security expert Sheldon Jacobson, whose research helped design TSA PreCheck, said the program’s success at SFO, a large international airport, shows privatization “is something that needs to be explored.”
SFO is among the 15 busiest airports in the United States when measured by passenger traffic. The airport is a major hub for international travel, and is the second busiest in California after Los Angeles International Airport.
“It’s run just like any other airport,” Jacobson said, adding that SFO’s multiple concourses and its status as a hub for United Airlines prove that even large-scale operations can be managed effectively under this model. “If SFO is the true testbed for offering this privatized product, many other airports can do so as well.”
Jacobson noted that most airports currently using the program are smaller, but “the size issue should not be a limiting factor,” and called for a broader conversation about how these options can efficiently deliver government services and benefit travelers.
“Of course the Transportation Security Administration will have oversight. It’s not like they move freely on their own,” he said of privately contracted screening workers. “We may also use the government shutdown affecting air travel as an opportunity to start that discussion.”
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA officers, has long opposed privatization.
“We will never advocate for any privatization of any federal employee,” Johnny Jones, treasurer of the TSA union’s bargaining unit, said in a brief phone call this week. “We don’t think this will work.”
In a blog post on its website, the union says this could weaken accountability for aviation security, which is one reason why Congress chose to federalize airport screening after the September 11 attacks.
The union also warned that private companies may face pressure to cut costs in ways that affect training, staffing levels and employee benefits. The union says reliance on contractors could create inconsistencies between airports if different companies operate checkpoints across the country, which could complicate oversight of a system designed to maintain uniform national security standards.
“We have to remember that the TSA was created in the wake of 9/11 when there were no security standards or very few security standards,” said Henry Harteveldt, an aviation industry analyst and head of the Atmospheric Research Group. “The Transportation Security Administration came in, and put in place very stringent security requirements for airport screening, which still exist to this day.”
Others say there are simpler ways to address the shutdown issue.
Industry groups — including the U.S. Travel Association, Airlines for America and the American Association of Airport Executives — are urging Congress to pass legislation to ensure aviation workers are paid regardless of government funding status.
“Every time Washington fails to fund the government, these essential workers pay the price. So do travelers. So does the economy,” Jeff Freeman, president of the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement. “This is why the travel industry is consolidating in America, because this workforce is too important, and the risks are too high, for this to continue to happen.”
Republican lawmakers in recent years have pushed to dismantle the agency entirely and replace its screening functions with private contractors overseen by the federal government.
Last year, two GOP senators introduced the TSA Repeal Act, which would phase out the agency and move oversight to a new office charged with aviation security. Supporters of the far-reaching legislation say private screening could be more efficient and less vulnerable to shutdowns.
TSA leadership has indicated an openness to discussion. Speaking at a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing last year, Ha Nguyen McNeil, a senior official performing the duties of TSA administrator, said “nothing is off the table” regarding potential privatization.
“If the new privatization plan makes sense, we are happy to have this discussion and see what we can come up with,” McNeil said. “It’s not an all-or-nothing game.”
At SFO, officials say its screening model was adopted more than 20 years ago for reasons unrelated to the government shutdown. But as closures have increased in recent years and become more disruptive, the airport says its arrangements have revealed an unintended benefit: reduced employee disruptions at checkpoints.
“I think the benefits are compelling,” Harteveldt said. “The real issue is making sure that any vendor, any TSA partner, is adhering to the rigorous standards set by TSA and working with TSA to ensure screening remains effective and finding ways to make it better.”
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Associated Press video journalist Haven Daly contributed from San Francisco.