FILE: Airplane passengers line up for TSA security screenings at Denver International Airport in Denver. 

The Transportation Security Administration quietly rolled out an extension of a program that’s been present at San Francisco International Airport since 2002, which could change how many airports throughout the U.S. operate. 

The agency sent an internal memo on May 14 to all employees announcing the rollout of TSA Gold , former TSA agent Caleb Harmon-Marshall shared in his newsletter. TSA said the program is an “extension of the existing Screening Partnership Program (SPP) model,” allowing private contractors to manage both the employees, known as transportation security officers, and the technology that screens passengers. The administration has since launched a public-facing website with the details. 

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“The launch of TSA Gold will enable closer collaboration with the private sector, drive greater innovation and investment, and strengthen the resilience of TSA operations,” the agency said in the memo.

Currently, 20 airports use private contractors for TSA screening. However, SFO is the only major airport that has adopted the program. The private contract left the airport immune to any delays during the last two government shutdowns, when staffing shortages left passengers waiting in line to be screened for several hours and a collective 2,100 agents ultimately quit. 

Republican lawmakers expressed interest in privatizing airport........

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