Tampa International Airport CEO Michael Stephens confirms the airport will retain federal TSA officers for checkpoint screening.
Tampa International Airport CEO Michael Stephens announced that the airport will continue to use federal TSA officers for checkpoint screening operations rather than transitioning to a private screening model. This decision followed a comprehensive evaluation of the TSA Gold+ program, which would have granted the agency oversight of a private screening company instead of utilizing federal staff. Airport leaders conducted a multi-month review of the security, workforce, technology, financial, and legal aspects of the previous model. The goal of the evaluation was to determine if a private program could prevent government shutdown disruptions and improve the passenger experience. Michael Stephens noted that the airport worked closely with the local TSA team through periods of record growth and severe weather. The airport will maintain its current partnership with federal officers to ensure longn-term operational excellence.