AAAE Security Policy Alert: Summary of TSA's August Conference Call for Airport Stakeholders
August 6, 2026
This afternoon, TSA held its monthly conference call for airport stakeholders. The conference call was led by Karin Glasgow, Industry Engagement Manager for Airlines in the office of Strategy, Policy & Engagement (formerly Policy, Plans and Engagement or PPE). The position of Industry Engagement Manager for Airports remains vacant.
TSA was not able to provide an update on the status of LEO reimbursements or canine stipends as originally expected. AAAE urged TSA to act with urgency and provide additional information as soon as it is available, especially for the canine stipend application process which has not yet been announced, since the end of the fiscal year is quickly approaching.
Acting Assistant Administrator for Strategy, Policy & Engagement (SP&E) Scott Gorton thanked airports for their efforts to make the FIFA World Cup games a success without any major operational disruptions. Gorton acknowledged the success as a testament to local and regional planning and coordination.
Gorton also reported that the Senate is expected to confirm David Cummins as the next TSA Administrator very soon. TSA Public Affairs will issue a press release following Cummins’ confirmation highlighting his vision and priorities for agency, including improving TSA workforce morale, increased focus on deploying advanced technology, and hardening transportation networks against cyber and UAS threats. Gorton also reported that Ha McNeill, who has been serving as Acting Administrator, will remain at the agency; McNeill was appointed in April 2025 and immediately assumed the Acting Administrator role.
Gateside by TSA PreCheck
Gateside by TSA PreCheck is a new TSA-managed option for non-travelers that have PreCheck to access the sterile area of an airport. TSA field tested this concept in March 2026.
Gate passes and visitor passes have been used to access sterile areas for over 20 years. Gateside builds on these long-standing practices by providing a new standardized method to support an already established process. Gateside will not necessarily replace air carrier gate pass and airport visitor pass programs but may complement them as an alternative for non-travelers eligible for TSA PreCheck to access the sterile area without having to go through an airport or air carrier intermediary. Because comparable programs already exist, Gateside is not anticipated to add any additional risk.
How It Works: Gateside is exclusive to TSA PreCheck members. Non-travelers seeking access will need to provide information using a TSA portal that links to Login.gov. After providing the requisite information, potential pass holders will be vetted via Secure Flight prior to arrival (at least one calendar day and not more than 3 calendar days prior to arrival). Once approved through the TSA Gateside portal, non-travelers can arrive at a participating airport and present their acceptable form of ID to the Travel Document Checker for identity verification, screening, and access to the sterile area. According to TSA, 95% of non-travelers will only need their acceptable form of ID, with exceptions for those without ID such as those under 18.
In response to a question by AAAE, although the 2005 REAL ID law imposes REAL ID requirements on individuals traveling on commercial aircraft, TSA will require a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID for Gateside.
Gateside will permit the PreCheck member to request a “group pass reservation” for up to seven additional individuals that would accompany them. This feature allows individuals under 18 and over 74 without a Known Traveler Number (KTN) to receive TSA PreCheck screening when accompanied by a TSA PreCheck adult. However, TSA did state that airports with TSA PreCheck queue monitors will need to check and validate Gateside by TSA Precheck documentation, which will be on the Gateside portal dashboard. TSA will not be sending e-mails or other digital documents to approved non-travelers at this time.
Airport Authorities: TSA stated that Gateside does not remove or limit airport authorities’ ability to grant sterile area access to visitors. Also, it does not change current airport procedures to provide workers or other visitors with access to the secure or sterile areas. Further, airport operators retain the ability to revoke Gateside pass privileges; however, Gateside does not yet have the capability to incorporate individual airport stop-lists into their vetting.
Escort and Air Carrier Pass Procedures: Existing escort and air carrier gate pass procedures will remain unchanged. Gateside will not affect escort requirements, nor is it intended to be used as a substitute for employees to gain access to the sterile area to perform their duties. In response to a question on the call, TSA stated that the agency will make clear on its public website that Gateside is not intended for use by individuals working or conducting business in the sterile area.
What Are the Next Steps? On September 1, TSA will begin an operational assessment at 14 airports to assess public demand, load test IT infrastructure, and evaluate impact on airport operations. Two of the locations selected for this operational assessment (SAN and DTW) already operate similar programs. Results of the assessment, along with stakeholder feedback collected during that period, will inform TSA’s decision on pace and scope of expansion to additional locations as well as future product enhancements.
TSA will fully cover all costs at these airports, will provide communication materials to support public awareness and stakeholder coordination, and will ensure manageable volumes of individuals in the sterile area.
The question of volume was raised repeatedly by airports on the call, especially regarding checkpoints loads and TSA staffing. TSA highlighted that Gateside has daily capacity limits that are configurable by airport to manage the flow of individuals into the sterile area; currently, the capacity loads can only be set on a daily basis and not hourly as is done at some airports with visitor pass programs.
What Are the Anticipated Benefits? TSA believes Gateside is a low burden for industry with high benefits. TSA highlighted the benefit to air carriers as reduced administrative burden by decreasing gate pass issuance. Potential benefits for airport operators include increased revenue through increased spending on amenities such as shopping, dining, and parking. TSA also highlighted an enhanced customer experience for individuals eligible for TSA PreCheck screening to access the sterile area as non-travelers and receive TSA PreCheck screening. Gateside will be the only way that non-travelers can access the sterile area and receive TSA PreCheck screening.
Further information can be found in TSA’s powerpoint linked above.
Airport Policy Update
TSA has posted a series of Information Circulars (IC) related to cybersecurity on the HSIN ACO-200 web board for airport operators, including the most recent IC 26-05 regarding Mobile Device Management (MDM) Solutions & Secure Applications. TSA encouraged airports to review the ICs. While some were driven by cybersecurity concerns surrounding the FIFA World Cup games, the documents still contain useful information and guidance for airports and their cybersecurity coordinators.
TSA has completed comment adjudication for the proposed Airport Security Program (ASP) amendments regarding Social Security Numbers (SSN) and trusted agent responsibilities. The proposed ASP amendments aimed to simply move the existing requirements from the Security Directive (SD) 1542-04-08 series into the airport security program. The national amendments will now be circulated internally within TSA for final coordination and review. TSA expects to issue them as final in the October timeframe.
TSA acknowledged the devasting wildfires in Spokane and reminded airports that alternative measures may be available for airports impacted by or responding to wildfires. TSA also stressed that the quickest and easiest solutions can often be worked out locally, leveraging the flexibility inherent in the ASP regulatory framework.
Safe Skies
TSA recognized the good work of and close collaboration with Safe Skies, highlighting the recent ASSIST reports on perimeter security. Jessica Grizzle, PARAS Program Manager at Safe Skies, provided the following update on their recent efforts for both the ASSIST and PARAS programs.
PARAS 0063 Considerations for Full Employee Screening at Airports is now available for free download on the Safe Skies website. This guidance provides airports with a comprehensive framework for evaluating, planning, implementing, and managing full employee screening programs. The research addresses the complex considerations airports face when determining whether full employee screening is appropriate for their unique circumstances.
PARAS 0070 Utilizing Lock-and-Key Systems in Airport Access Control Programs has been awarded to Kinexis Consulting with Saurabh Pethe as the Principal Investigator.
As highlighted by TSA, Safe Skies recently issued the following ASSIST reports on perimeter intrusion detection systems:
SSDA—26-029 Magos Systems SR-1000 Ground-Based Radar System – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
SSDA—26-030 Teledyne FLIR Ranger® R3 Ground-Based Radar System – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Airport Security Coordinators who wish to request ASSIST reports may email anna.hamilton@sskies.org or navigate to the Safe Skies Conference area on the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) to download them.
Next TSA Conference Call
The next TSA conference call for airport stakeholders is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. ET.
