Airport is so fed-up of TSA chaos it is now hiring its own private security staff, angering public sector workers who've previously done job

By ELIOT FORCE, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:12, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 15:12, 23 July 2026 Florida's Tampa International Airport (TPA) is on track to privatize its security in a bid to reduce chaos and delays, angering federal workers and their union.  TPA's move, announced earlier this week, comes amidst a broader push by the Trump administration to privatize airports around the country.  In May, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced a public-private partnership model called TSA Gold+, which will allow private contractors to oversee airport security operations by hiring personnel and managing security equipment. That is the program TPA opted into.  A record-long, 43-day government shutdown late last year, as well as lengthy partial shutdowns earlier this year, caused hours-long wait times for travelers as TSA employees went unpaid and many refused to work.  The Trump administration touted privatization as a solution to that problem, as contractors would be able to continue paying security personnel during public funding disputes in Congress.  Des Moines International Airport in Iowa is also 'exploring' the TSA Gold+ program, and Charleston International Airport in South Carolina is 'formally pursuing a transition,' both airports said in public statements.  But privatization is facing pushback from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a union that represents the 47,000 Transportation Security Officers at 400 airports across the US. In a news release published on Tuesday, the union claimed that privatization will reduce safety at airports and is more about profit than increasing efficiency.  Tampa International Airport in Florida is set to privatize its security in a bid to reduce wait times. An enormous line for security at Orlando International Air Airports across the US faced chaos and long wait times during government shutdowns last year and earlier this year. A long line at JFK International Airport in NYC is pictured A TSA agent is pictured with long lines in the background at Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland. Many TSA employees went unpaid for weeks during the shutdowns 'Make no mistake – this is a major departure and step backwards from the aviation screening security system that Congress created in the wake of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks in 2001,' AFGE National President Everett Kelley said.  'Changes of this magnitude should not be made behind closed doors without the input of Congress, the flying public, the local airport authorities, and TSA employees themselves,' Kelley added.  The AFGE news release also highlighted the Trump administration's proposed 2027 federal budget, which aims to eliminate 8,400 federal airport security officer positions, or about 14 percent of TSA’s screening workforce. The proposal signifies that the administration's 'clear objective is to ultimately privatize all aviation security screening functions,' according to the AFGE president. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Chris Finlay, the AFGE North and Central Florida chapter president, called TPA's move towards privatization a 'slap in the face' for employees who continued working without pay during government shutdowns.  But the airport's officials maintained that the decision was made in the best interests of protecting operations and reducing the risk of chaos and disruptions.  'The change to privatization not only reduces disruption risks caused by lapses in federal appropriations or government shutdowns,' a statement to the Tampa Bay Times from TPA Communications Manager Beau Zimmer began.  Tampa International Airport (pictured) opted into a public-private program called TSA Gold+, which the Trump administration has touted as a solution to airport chaos during shutdowns The American Federation of Government Employees, a union that represents 47,000 TSA workers, has decried privatization. Two TSA employees are pictured AFGE chapter President Chris Finlay called privatization a 'slap in the face' to TSA employees who worked unpaid during the shutdowns. A TSA checkpoint is pictured during a partial shutdown earlier this year 'But [it] also allows greater flexibility in exploring new screening checkpoint infrastructure and technology to enhance the customer experience.' Although the TSA Gold+ program will give private contractors near-total oversight of security operations, companies will still be mandated to follow established federal standards, Zimmer said.  TPA is expected to complete its transition into privatization as soon as May 2027, although the airport has not yet selected a private contractor.  The TSA released a revised request for proposals last week to select companies for its Gold+ program, planning to hand out a 10-year multiple-award contract.