U.S. President Donald Trump today proposed to begin the process of privatizing the airport security operations run by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the federal agency created after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The White House budget proposes cutting the TSA’s budget by $52 million and asks small airports to enroll in a program in which the TSA pays for private airport screening.
The TSA has about 50,000 federal employees who handle screening at nearly all U.S. airports.
The US president’s 2027 budget documents highlight that airports currently using the program have demonstrated savings compared to federal screening operations.
The US president’s 2027 budget documents highlight that airports currently using the program have demonstrated savings compared to federal screening operations.
In recent weeks, major US airports have experienced huge disruptions after TSA security workers have gone unpaid since mid-February, after funding for the workers was cut off in a budget dispute.
Trump fired TSA chief David Pecoske on his first day in office and has never named a replacement.
Last year, the White House said it wanted a $247 million funding cut for the TSA, saying “the TSA has repeatedly failed audits while implementing intrusive screening measures that violate the privacy and dignity of Americans.”
This budget cut represented a reduction of about 3-4% in TSA staffing – with half for exit lane staff and the remaining 2% reduction in transportation security officers spread across 435 airports.
The Biden administration had increased the size of the TSA, which has nearly 60,000 employees, as air travel has increased in recent years. The TSA screened 904 million passengers in 2024, which was a record and a 5 percent increase over 2023.
