Why some airport security screeners will continue to get paid during the government shutdown

Long security lines spilled into baggage claim areas and parking garages at several U.S. airports this weekend, signaling potential widespread travel disruptions as the latest government shutdown continues. Yet San Francisco International Airport (SFO) remains largely unaffected, highlighting a key difference in how airport security operations are managed across the country.

SFO is among nearly two dozen U.S. airports that utilize private contractors for security screening under a federal program that maintains TSA oversight while outsourcing the actual checkpoint operations. This arrangement has provided a crucial buffer against government funding lapses.

“The money’s already been allocated, the payments have already been made, and that continues without interruption,” explained SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel in an interview with The Associated Press. “That is a very nice place to be.”

This contrast has reignited discussions about whether private contractors operating under TSA supervision could provide a more reliable security operation that shields travelers from the consequences of political impasses in Washington.

At SFO, the system proved effective during last year’s record 43-day shutdown, maintaining normal screening operations while federally-staffed airports faced increasing strains as the shutdown dragged on.

The TSA’s screening partnership program allows airports to use government-approved private security companies to manage checkpoints, while the agency retains authority over procedures and oversight. Private security screeners undergo the same background checks and must meet identical medical requirements as federal screeners.

Besides SFO, other participants include Kansas City International Airport, Atlantic City International Airport, and Orlando Sanford International Airport. However, these represent a small fraction of the approximately 400 commercial airports nationwide, most of which rely on federal TSA employees.

During shutdowns, federal screeners must continue working without pay—a situation that historically leads to higher absenteeism and slower-moving checkpoints the longer a funding lapse continues. The current partial shutdown affects only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA, after Democrats in Congress refused to fund the department over objections to its immigration enforcement tactics.

The timing is particularly problematic as airlines and airports prepare for what’s expected to be one of the busiest spring break travel seasons on record. Staffing shortages and longer security lines can create ripple effects throughout the aviation system, delaying flights and disrupting travel plans for thousands.

Aviation security expert Sheldon Jacobson, whose research contributed to the design of TSA PreCheck, believes SFO’s success demonstrates that privatization “is something that needs to be explored.”

“It’s operated just as well as any other airport,” Jacobson noted, pointing out that SFO’s size—among the top 15 busiest U.S. airports and a major United Airlines hub—proves the model can work at scale. “If SFO is the litmus test for delivering this privatized product, then many other airports can do it, too.”

However, the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA officers, strongly opposes privatization. “We will never advocate for any privatization of any federal employees. We don’t believe that’ll work,” said Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA union’s bargaining unit.

The union argues privatization could weaken accountability for aviation security—one of the primary reasons Congress federalized airport screening after the September 11 attacks. There are concerns that private companies might face pressure to cut costs affecting training, staffing levels, and employee benefits, potentially creating inconsistencies between airports if different contractors operate checkpoints across the country.

“We have to remember the TSA was created in the wake of 9/11 when there were no security standards or very minimal security standards,” explained airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group. “The TSA came around, they established very stringent airport screening security requirements, which exist to this day.”

Rather than privatization, industry groups including the U.S. Travel Association, Airlines for America, and the American Association of Airport Executives are urging Congress to pass legislation ensuring aviation workers are paid regardless of government funding status.

“Every time Washington fails to fund the government, these essential workers pay the price. So do travelers. So does the economy,” said Geoff Freeman, U.S. Travel Association’s president.

Some Republican lawmakers have pushed to dismantle TSA entirely and replace its screening functions with private contractors under federal oversight. Last year, two GOP senators introduced the “Abolish TSA Act,” which would phase out the agency and transfer oversight to a new aviation security office.

TSA leadership has indicated openness to discussion. Ha Nguyen McNeill, a senior official performing the duties of TSA administrator, told a House Appropriations subcommittee last year that “nothing is off the table” regarding potential privatization.

SFO officials note their screening model was adopted over 20 years ago for reasons unrelated to government shutdowns. But with funding lapses becoming longer and more disruptive in recent years, the airport’s arrangement has revealed an unexpected advantage: continuity of security operations regardless of Washington’s political climate.

“The benefits, I think, are compelling,” Harteveldt concluded. “The real issue is making sure that any vendor, any partner to the TSA, upholds the strict standards that TSA has established and works with TSA to ensure that screening remains efficient and finds ways to make it even better.”