TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – After a heavy bout of flight delays across the country last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took to social media to float a new idea: getting the TSA out of airports.
More specifically, DeSantis responded to another post calling to privatize the TSA in the wake of partial government shutdown, which has left TSA agents without pay.
“Is there evidence that creating TSA has made air travel safer over the past 25 years?” DeSantis wrote. “If not, then why not let the airlines and airports handle it?”
Is there evidence that creating TSA has made air travel safer over the past 25 years?
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) March 21, 2026
If not, then why not let the airlines and airports handle it?
Why give politicians the power to play games with the travel of our people? https://t.co/mKvzqjKBof
According to the TSA, there are already 20 airports across the U.S. that rely on private companies to carry out their security screenings, thereby reducing long lines seen at other American airports.
This private option is made available via the agency’s Screening Partnership Program, though it still requires that the airports comply with all TSA security screening measures.
As a result, contract security officers must still undergo the same training and procedures as TSA agents.
[BELOW: Why was Orlando International Airport so backed up?]
Three of the airports that participate in the SPP are even located in Florida. They are as follows:
- Orlando Sanford International Airport
- Punta Gorda Airport
- Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
BOS Security, one of the contractors approved by the TSA, said that privatizing airport security can save on taxpayer dollars, improve security screening, and speed up lines at the airport.
While some have argued that getting the TSA out of airports may help improve efficiency, critics posit that it could also incur more security risks.
[BELOW: Rename MCO?! The Orlando Airport Debate Is Getting Heated]
However, a 2015 internal investigation by the TSA revealed that there were already gaps in security screenings at some of the country’s busiest airports, with mock explosives and banned weapons making their way through checkpoints in 95% of trials, CBS News reports.
That said, the Department of Homeland Security announced after the results came out that the agency would be implementing actions to address the issues raised by the investigation. In 2024, TSA officials announced that the agency had already made “significant strides” in improving security.
Right now, the TSA operates in over 400 airports nationwide.
[BELOW: Orlando International Airport’s TSA wait times stabilize while ICE staffs other airports]