Want to Meet Someone at the Airport Gate? After 25 Years, TSA Is Restoring Access at 13 Airports
The new program restores gate access for approved non-travelers for the first time in decades.
People wait in a security line at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Photo:
Airports will now allow non-travelers to go through TSA—without a plane ticket.
Gateside by TSA PreCheck, a new authorization system, enables non-travelers who are eligible for TSA PreCheck screenings to access parts of the airport beyond the security checkpoint.
“As an exclusive benefit for our most trusted travelers, this new program makes it easier to return to the gate for welcomes and send-offs, meet friends during a layover, and enjoy dining and shopping along the way, bringing back the moments that once defined air travel,”the agency wrote.
If successful, TSA is interested in expanding the program to additional airports. The agency says the system can be used to allow family members to reunite at a gate, join a friend on a long layover for lunch or dinner, visit airport dining and shopping locations, or greet service members returning from deployment.
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Which airports offer Gateside?
Gateside is currently available at 13 airports across the United States for its initial launch, including:
- Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) in Mesa, Arizona
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Columbus, Ohio
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Dallas, Texas
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) in Detroit, Michigan
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) in Wichita, Kansas
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California
- Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Eppley Airfield (OMA) in Omaha, Nebraska
- San Diego International Airport (SAN) in San Diego, California
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in Salt Lake City, Utah
Reversing a long-standing rule
The new program changes a long-standing rule that has been in place for decades following 9/11.
At the time, the Federal Anon-travelers, only allowing ticketed passengers to venture beyond airport security checkpoints. That year, President George W. Bush signed the Aely created TSA. Twenty-five years later, it appears the agency is ready to reverse the rule
Source: www.inc.com
