I Love TSA

06/05/2026

05/31/2026

Thank you to the TSA officers who show up every day to keep travelers safe and secure. ✈️ Next time you're at the checkpoint, take a moment to show your appreciation. A simple thank you goes a long way.

05/24/2026

Knead your needoh on the plane? It’s a peace o’ cake if they’re 3.4oz or less. If an item contains materials you can pump, squeeze, spread, smear, spray or spill they need to follow our carry-on liquids rule.

05/21/2026

The friendly skies just got a little 420 friendly.

05/21/2026

906 million passengers. One agency facing a $1.5 billion budget cut and the elimination of 9,400+ positions.

Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America, testified before a U.S. House committee Wednesday, drawing a hard line against mandatory TSA privatization.

"Remains an option for airports and does not become a mandatory program is paramount to the U.S. aviation industry," Sununu told the committee.

The Trump administration proposed slashing TSA's $7.8 billion annual budget by roughly 20 percent — the largest proposed reduction in the agency's history.

David Pekoske, the former TSA Administrator, was fired on the first day of Trump's 2025 term.

Trump nominated David Cummins, Senior VP at Serco North America, as the agency's new head last week.

The American Federation of Government Employees stated the proposed cuts would make air travel less safe.

Sununu positioned Airlines for America not as an opponent of reform, but as a gatekeeper against forced structural change at the checkpoint level.

"We are committed to TSA's modernization efforts and support innovative solutions that accelerate the deployment of checkpoint and checked baggage technology as well as algorithms that increase efficiency," Sununu said.

The distinction matters for frequent flyers and business travelers: voluntary privatization, already active at select U.S. airports under the existing Screening Partnership Program, would expand — but mandatory nationwide privatization would strip airports of the federal fallback entirely.

With load factors at post-pandemic highs and on-time performance under sustained pressure, any checkpoint staffing reduction lands directly on dwell time and gate departure windows.

The Senate has not yet scheduled a confirmation hearing for Cummins, leaving TSA's operational leadership in transition as peak summer travel demand accelerates.

05/21/2026

Atlanta City Council voted to approve a feasibility study into replacing TSA screeners with private contractors at Hartsfield-Jackson — the world's busiest airport.

The 90-day study launches immediately, with results due before any binding decision reaches the full council.

'We have to realize the number one customers at the airport are you, the passengers... The number one thing about this program is that it is not tied to a TSA budget that can be caught up in a government shutdown.' — Councilman Byron Amos

Amos has pushed privatization for years, and the March government shutdown handed him the clearest argument yet.

During that shutdown, Mayor Andre Dickens activated emergency support for stranded TSA workers — parking assistance and meal vouchers — a cost the city absorbed while federal funding sat frozen.

Filmmaker Tyler Perry donated $250,000 in Visa gift cards directly to Atlanta TSA employees caught in the funding gap.

Council member Kelsea Bond voted with concerns on record, citing potential job losses and wage cuts for current screening staff.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA workers, stands directly in the path of any privatization move.

Hartsfield-Jackson processed over 104 million passengers in its most recent record year, making any security transition a logistical undertaking at a scale few U.S. airports have attempted.

San Francisco International already operates under the federal Screening Partnership Program, which allows airports to contract TSA-certified private screeners — ATL would follow that model if the study recommends it.

Frequent flyers moving through Concourses A through F daily will watch the 90-day clock closely; the study's findings determine whether Atlanta joins a small club of privatized U.S. airports or keeps its federal screeners.