Major U.S. Airport Considers Ending TSA

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, with more than 100 million travelers passing through the hub over the course of a year. However, after the airport was hit hard with staffing shortages at its security checkpoints during the recent government shutdowns, the ATL is considering some significant changes.

Currently, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffs the vast majority of airport screening checkpoints across the country. However, Atlanta is now exploring what it would look like to move away from the TSA.

Staffing Shortages Caused a Major Problem

Back in February and March, a partial government shutdown threw many airports across the country into chaos as TSA employees were forced to work without pay until lawmakers reached a deal to fund the organization.

Atlanta was hit particularly hard by the shutdown, as Fox 5 in Atlanta reports that 34 to 36 percent of local TSA officers missed work during the time, leading to multi-hour wait times and canceled flights at the airport.

This was the second time in just a few months that the TSA experienced staffing issues related to a government shutdown. Back in the fall, the government was shut down for 42 days amidst a funding dispute in Congress, marking the longest shutdown in history.

Atlanta Considers Going Private

After the issues during the government shutdowns, the Atlanta City Council voted 11-1 this week to request the Department of Aviation commission a feasibility study of privatized security at Hartsfield-Jackson. The study will analyze the possibility of converting current TSA operations to a private screening model at the world's busiest airport.

"This feasibility study is only asking about what it would look like if we can better serve grandmothers standing in line all day long because our federal government can't get their act together to keep our TSA workers employed," Councilmember Byron D. Amos said of the move.

Atlanta would not be the first airport across the country to utilize private security. There are at least 20 airports in the United States that already use private security through the TSA's screening program, though they are predominantly smaller and regional airports. The program allows airports across the country to use private contractors who must still meet federal security standards under federal oversight.

"The Screening Partnership Program contracts security screening services at commercial airports to qualified private companies," according to the TSA. "These companies run screening operations under federal oversight and much comply with all TSA security screening procedures."

One of the biggest airports utilizing this program is the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which did not face any issues during the government shutdown. Atlanta officials cited SFO as an excellent example of how private screening could help.

However, it is worth noting that ATL is a Category X public facility, which means it is at the highest tier level of security risk. While other airports have transitioned to private security, no Category X airport has ever made this transition.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 10:27 AM.