Many airports in the US are experiencing long waits at security, but 20 airports are not among them.
San Francisco International, Kansas City International, and Orlando Sanford as well as 17 others have avoided the long queues at security which are plaguing other terminals at the moment.
Many airports are struggling with mass absences at the moment from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) which mean that while they can still function there are a lot of delays for passengers.
This is due to a partial government shutdown in the US which has led to some TSA staff not being able to come into work, in turn causing the backlogs.
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The Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues to grind on as lawmakers remain in political deadlock over a bill of how the department, which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is funded, with ICE officers deployed to some airports.
But there is a specific reason that these 20 airports have avoided the chaos.
This is that these 20 airports do not use TSA agents directly, but instead are part of the TSA's Screening Partnership Program that uses contractors at airports.
That means that these airports have not been as heavily impacted by the government shutdown than regular airports.
VMD Corp runs the Kansas City and Orlando Sanford International, and took to social media with a post about the situation.
They wrote: “Airport lines got you down? The professional teams at our SPP (Screening Partnership Programs) airports have less than 3 minute lines.”
Sheldon Jacobson is a professor of computer science who works to improve aviation security, and said: “These 20 airports are completely oblivious to the government shutdown.”
Nat Carmack is from BOS Security, a business that screens people arriving to travel at Tupelo Regional Airport in Mississippi.
“All operations at the privatized airports are normal because we continue paying our employees during the shutdown,” said Carmack.
“Our employees have never missed a paycheck during any of the government shutdowns.”
Carmack added: “As a small business, it’s a burden, but we cover those payrolls until the government reopens and processes our invoices."
All US airports which employ private security
- Atlantic City International Airport; New Jersey
- Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport; California
- Dawson Community Airport; Montana
- Great Falls International Airport; Montana
- Glacier Park International Airport; Montana
- Greater Rochester International Airport; New York
- Havre City-County Airport; Montana
- Kansas City International Airport; Missouri
- L. M. Clayton Airport; Montana
- Orlando Sanford International Airport; Florida
- Portsmouth International Airport; New Hampshire
- Punta Gorda Airport; Florida
- Roswell International Air Center; New Mexico
- San Francisco International Airport; California
- Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport; Florida
- Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport; Montana
- Sioux Falls Regional Airport; South Dakota
- Tupelo Regional Airport; Mississippi
- Wokal Field/Glasgow International Airport; Montana
- Yellowstone Airport; Montana
Kit Roberts