The Transportation Security Administration is keeping its Gateside airport access program limited to just 13 airports, despite a previously announced expansion that would have allowed eligible visitors without airline tickets to pass through security at hundreds of locations nationwide.
The program — known as Gateside by TSA PreCheck — allows approved PreCheck members to enter secure areas of participating airports without a boarding pass, giving them an opportunity to accompany departing travelers to their gates or greet arriving passengers.
The limited rollout comes after Tulsa International Airport announced Oct. 1 that Gateside would expand to 301 additional airports beginning Oct. 2, bringing the total number of participating airports to 314.
However, a TSA spokesperson confirmed to FOX Business that the program remains in an operational assessment phase at just 13 airports while the agency evaluates its performance.
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“Gateside by TSA PreCheck is currently in the operational assessment phase at 13 airports across the nation. TSA is evaluating participation levels and assessing operational impacts. This assessment is proving that TSA’s security posture remains strong while delivering innovative benefits to PreCheck customers,” the spokesperson said.
The agency did not explain the discrepancy between the previously announced expansion and the program’s current availability, or indicate when additional airports might be added.
Gateside was initially introduced at 13 airports in September, including Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
Tulsa International Airport’s earlier announcement described Gateside as a TSA-managed program designed to give eligible visitors access to airport restaurants, shops and passenger gates beyond security checkpoints.
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Under the program, non-ticketed visitors must be TSA PreCheck members with a valid Known Traveler Number and submit an application at least one day and no more than three days before their planned visit.
Approved visitors must present acceptable identification and undergo TSA PreCheck screening before entering the secure area.
The program would restore a measure of airport access that was commonplace before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when friends and family members could routinely accompany passengers to airport gates or meet them as they arrived.
Airport security restrictions introduced after the attacks generally limited access beyond checkpoints to ticketed passengers and other authorized individuals.
Separately, some airports offer their own visitor pass programs that do not require TSA PreCheck membership. Tulsa International Airport, for example, maintains its TUL Visitor Pass program, which allows approved non-travelers to access secure areas.
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TSA has not announced a timeline for expanding Gateside beyond its current 13-airport assessment phase.
