TSA unveils Horizon 25 strategy to modernize airport security

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced the ‘Horizon 25’ strategy, a modernization plan designed to guide the agency toward its 25th anniversary. The strategy focuses on three primary objectives: modernizing security checkpoints, improving the passenger experience, and strengthening security across multiple modes of transportation.

Key initiatives include advancing the TSA PreCheck program, accelerating the procurement of new technologies, and expanding capabilities to counter unmanned aircraft system threats. The agency also intends to increase public-private partnerships by replacing the ‘TSA Gold+’ initiative with an evolved Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which allows airports to utilize private security contractors for passenger and baggage screening.

The shift toward expanded private sector involvement follows previous efforts to use contractors, which have provided continuity during government funding lapses. However, the move toward increased privatization has faced opposition from the American Federation of Government Employees, which has expressed concerns regarding job security and public safety.