TSA Launches Program Allowing Non-Travelers Past Airport Security

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has launched a program that allows people without a plane ticket to go through airport security, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed on Sept. 8.

The Gateside protocol enables some TSA PreCheck members to pass through security at certain airports into the secure area, according to a TSA webpage created earlier this month. It accommodates people who want to meet or see off friends or family at the gate before takeoff, among other reasons.

“We came up with a program that doesn’t compromise security at all. It’s just a part of the known passenger process,” Mullin said in the Fox News interview, which was posted on X. “We hope that it will help the passenger experience.”

The Homeland Security chief noted that in some instances, people may want to go through security to pick up children, elderly people, or U.S. military service members at the gate

TSA’s website said that the program is available at 13 U.S. airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, and Salt Lake City International Airport.

Other participating airports include Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, Will Rogers International Airport, Eppley Airfield, and Harry Reid International Airport.

The agency said that holders of the TSA PreCheck pass can use specialized screening lanes to get into the secure area to meet friends or family, meet a business associate or employee, or visit retail or dining establishments.

Children can also partake in the program, but they must be included on their parent or guardian’s TSA application, the website said. People are advised to apply for the pass at least one day before trying to enter the airport security area.

People using the program need to show an acceptable form of identification, and a TSA officer may have to be shown a “portal dashboard on your mobile device showing your approved Gateside pass status,” according to the website.

“Non-travelers should check their approval status via the online portal before proceeding to the airport to ensure their pass is valid and their status has not changed,” it also advised. “Be prepared by logging in to the portal before you give your ID to the officer.”

People can enroll in TSA PreCheck by filling out an application on the TSA website and making an in-person appointment at an enrollment center. Fees vary.

The TSA was created by a congressional act signed into law by President George W. Bush after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. It replaced a collection of private security companies that were hired by airlines. The agency operates under the Department of Homeland Security.

In his interview with Fox, Mullin said he hoped the new program would help the TSA’s reputation because the agency “sometimes gets a bad name.”