Long security lines and staffing shortages have disrupted travel at major US airports during the partial government shutdown - but a small group of hubs is largely avoiding the chaos because they rely on private screening contractors instead of federally employed TSA officers.
At least 20 airports across the country participate in the Transportation Security Administration's Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which was founded in 2004 and allows private companies to conduct security screening under TSA oversight, Business Insider reported this week.
Travelers may not even notice the difference, since private screeners are held to the same federal standards as TSA officers.
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"With private screening, employees still have to be trained and follow the same federal security standards as TSA," Daniel Bubb, a former airline pilot and commercial aviation expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Fox News Digital.
One key difference is that airports using private contractors have reported fewer disruptions tied to the shutdown. Because private screeners are paid through pre-funded federal contracts, they are not impacted in the same way as TSA workers.
SPP hubs include San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Kansas City International Airport (MCI), as well as smaller regional airports such as Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida and multiple locations across Montana.
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"Our screeners have continued to get paid throughout this government shutdown," Doug Yakel, a spokesperson for SFO, told Fox News Digital, noting it has helped maintain a "stable workforce" while other airports face staffing shortages.
The ongoing disruptions come as the TSA reports national call-out rates of more than 10%, with over 360 officers having quit during the shutdown tied to a funding standoff over the Department of Homeland Security, Fox News Digital reported this week.
At Kansas City International Airport, private contractor VMD Corp. said operations remain "business as usual" despite the shutdown, according to Business Insider. Another TSA-approved contractor, BOS Security, has said private screening can be more efficient, cost-effective and have lower turnover than federal staffing.
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The use of private screening remains relatively limited, but Bubb said the model is gaining relevance as this marks the second partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security in about five months.
"In some ways, airports are experimenting with private screening programs to see what works best," he said, adding, "I wouldn't be surprised if more airports move toward private screening to avoid these kinds of situations."
Critics, including labor groups, however, argue that privatization could undermine safety and accountability.
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"Security is an inherently government function," former TSA Administrator John Pistole said in a May 2025 blog post from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents federal workers, including TSA officers.
The AFGE also argues that private screening companies are just in the business to make money. "Their main concern is profit, not the security of the flying public or the well-being of workers, both of which are integrally linked," the group said in its post.
Beyond the policy debate, Bubb highlighted the impact on frontline workers.
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"Travelers should remember that TSA agents are essentially working without pay during a shutdown," he said.
He urged passengers to stay patient and called on Congress to reach at least a temporary solution.
"If everybody can just work together, be patient and be kind to each other, this will go better," he added.
In the meantime, Elon Musk even offered to pay TSA workers' salaries during the funding impasse, though it remains unclear whether that would be legally possible.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the AFGE for comment.
Fox News Digital's Ashley J. DiMella and Michael Dorgan contributed reporting.
