US airlines oppose Trump plan to require small airports to use private security

WASHINGTON — A major U.S. airline industry group is opposing a White House proposal that would require smaller airports to use private security screeners instead of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), according to written testimony reviewed by Reuters.

Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu is expected to tell a U.S. House of Representatives committee on Wednesday that keeping private security screening optional for airports is critical to the aviation industry.

“Ensuring that private security remains an option for airports and does not become a mandatory program is paramount to the U.S. aviation industry,” Sununu said in prepared remarks.

Last month, President Donald Trump proposed cutting more than 9,400 jobs and over $1.5 billion from the TSA’s annual budget. The agency currently employs around 60,000 workers and oversees airport security operations across the United States.

The proposal marks an initial step toward privatizing the TSA, which was created following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Some Republican lawmakers have also pushed for the agency to be fully privatized.

According to the White House, requiring smaller airports to switch to private security contractors would reduce the TSA workforce by more than 4,500 positions. The agency also plans to eliminate another 4,800 jobs through efficiency measures, including ending staffing at airport exit lanes and reducing redundancies.

Despite its opposition to mandatory privatization, Airlines for America said it supports efforts to modernize airport security operations.

“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 added.

The proposed budget reduction would cut about 20% from the TSA’s current $7.8 billion budget. The agency has already faced staffing challenges after losing more than 1,600 workers during government funding disruptions last fall and earlier this year.

Trump last week nominated David Cummins, a senior vice president at Serco North America, to lead the TSA. Cummins oversees the company’s civilian government customer portfolio at the federal, state, and local levels.

Under former President Joe Biden, the TSA expanded its workforce and screened a record 906 million passengers in 2025.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA security officers, has opposed privatization efforts, arguing that they could weaken aviation security and make air travel less safe.

Trump has long criticized the TSA. On his first day back in office in 2025, he dismissed TSA Administrator David Pekoske, whom Trump had originally appointed during his first term. Biden later nominated Pekoske for another term in 2022.

-Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Tom Hogue and Jamie Freed/Reuters