Tampa airport axes plan to staff TSA checkpoints with private workforce

The decision was reported by local outlets such as WFLA and FOX 13 Tampa Bay, and echoed by the Tampa Bay Times. The Tampa announcement aligns with a wider federal shift away from the Gold+ model. The Hill reported that the Transportation Security Administration officially ended the privatized security program, while Federal News Network noted a new push to replace Gold+ with an updated approach under the agency’s Horizon 25 Strategy. The strategy, launched ahead of TSA’s 25th anniversary, outlines a roadmap for future security operations and signals that private‑sector involvement at checkpoints will be re‑examined across the system.

Current coverage indicates that Tampa International will retain federal TSA personnel to conduct passenger screening, keeping the traditional security model in place. Simple Flying highlighted how a flyer at Orlando Airport previously exposed the $12.9 billion privatization effort, adding pressure on the program. The agency’s broader Horizon 25 rollout and the formal retirement of Gold+ suggest a coordinated reevaluation of private contracts, with Tampa’s decision serving as an early example of that policy shift. Observers will watch how the Horizon 25 Strategy is applied at other hubs, particularly whether airports that have piloted Gold+ will follow Tampa’s lead.

Future statements from TSA about the replacement timeline for Gold+ and any new contracting guidelines are expected to shape security staffing decisions nationwide. The next round of airport reviews, hinted at in federal communications, may reveal additional moves away from private checkpoint staffing.