TSA quietly cancels traveler benefits at some US airports

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A recently expanded program that allowed TSA PreCheck members to pass through airport security without a ticket has been abruptly canceled, according to affected airport officials.

The initiative, known as “Gateside by TSA PreCheck,” was reintroduced in September at 13 locations before rolling out to hundreds of additional airports across the country earlier this month.

It was brought back 25 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks which led to increased security protocols at airports. This benefit allowed members without a plane ticket to pass through security checks and access the control zones of certain American airports, thus reviving a tradition which largely disappeared after the attacks.

However, airport officials say the expansion was canceled within days without public notice, including at Denver International Airport, which was among the newly added sites. KUSA media successfully tested the service last week.

“TSA recently returned Gateside by TSA PreCheck operations to the original 13 participating airports, at least for the time being,” Denver Airport said in a statement.

Some airline hubs were unaware of the change until passengers raised concerns.

At Norfolk International Airport in Virginia, administrators learned the service had been removed after passengers reported problems accessing the reservation system.

“We have received a few comments on social media and emails from people who said they recently tried to apply through the TSA online portal, but found that ORF was not among the available airports,” Chris Jones, the airport’s director of marketing and communications, told CNN. “I logged in to check these claims and didn’t see ORF in the drop-down menu either.”

The TSA announced the return of the policy with fanfare last month.

“This new program makes it easier to return to the gate for welcomes and departures, meet friends during a layover, and enjoy dining and shopping along the way, bringing back the moments that once defined air travel,” the TSA said on its website.

But without an airport listed on the official website, potential applicants cannot apply for a pass. The TSA has not publicly explained the sudden reduction in service.

The Independent has contacted the TSA for comment.

Currently, online booking is limited to the original 13 participating locations: