The TSA is planning big changes to airport security. Here's what they mean for travelers.

The TSA is planning big changes to airport security. Here's what they mean for travelers. TSA workers at Albany International Airport. Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images Airport security could soon look very different.The Transportation Security Administration announced a new strategy on Monday, called Horizon 25, ahead of the agency's 25th anniversary.It said it would scrap TSA Gold+, a Trump Administration initiative designed to expand the use of private contractors to handle airport security.Trump has said he believes privatizing aviation systems while maintaining government oversight would save money, improve efficiency, and enhance safety.However, the program has faced fierce opposition from the union for TSA workers.Last month, the American Federation of Government Employees said privatization "ignores lessons" from airline tragedies."The administration's actions should concern all Americans, and AFGE will continue to speak out against any proposal that threatens our members' jobs and jeopardizes the safety of the flying public," said Everett Kelley, the union's national president.While TSA Gold+ has now been discarded, the agency isn't giving up its goals of further privatization.The TSA said it plans to "accelerate public-private partnerships" with "an evolved Screening Partnership Program." The SPP lets airports use private security contractors for passenger and baggage screening. 20 airports have signed up to it, the largest being San Francisco International Airport.The benefits of private contractors were perhaps most obvious to travelers during government shutdowns in October 2025 and March 2026. As the Department of Homeland Security experienced a funding lapse, many TSA agents did not show up for work, leading to long delays at security checkpoints. Meanwhile, airports using the SPP weren't affected.The TSA press release said it believes using more private contractors will deliver "a safer, more secure, and more efficient aviation system."However, it could also mean that thousands of TSA workers would lose their jobs, and that private security contractors could have weaker worker protections than federal employees.The Horizon 25 strategy also plans to enhance TSA PreCheck, in which passengers are pre-screened and can use a faster security lane, although details of the changes are scarce.The TSA also said it plans to streamline the acquisition of new technology and expand its capabilities to counter the threat posed by uncrewed aircraft systems, such as drones. Read next Pete Syme is an aviation reporter for Business Insider, based in London.He writes about all things related to the industry, such as flight diversions, aviation safety, airline updates, travel tips, plane tours, and aviation leaders.Pete has appeared on BBC News to discuss a Heathrow Airport closure and on Sky News to talk about Boeing.Before joining Business Insider in 2022, he graduated with an MA in Newspaper Journalism from City, University of London. While getting his BA in English from the University of Exeter, he was the award-winning deputy editor of the student newspaper, Exeposé.You can get in touch by emailing psyme@businessinsider.com or via Signal @syme.99. Airports Aviation Donald Trump More