The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has scaled back a program that allows eligible visitors to enter airport terminals beyond security checkpoints without a plane ticket. Gateside by TSA PreCheck, launched in September, is now limited to 13 airports after a planned expansion to hundreds of locations was reversed.
The TSA has returned the Gateside by TSA PreCheck program to its original 13 airports, according to statements from the agency and airport officials. The agency said it is assessing participation levels and operational impacts but has not publicly explained why the planned expansion was halted.
TSA limits Gateside to 13 airports
Gateside by TSA PreCheck initially launched at 13 airports in September 2026. The program was subsequently made available at additional locations, but airports including Denver International and Norfolk International later confirmed that access was no longer available there.
As of October 17, the program’s website listed the original 13 airports as participating locations:
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), Arizona.
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), Ohio.
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas.
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Michigan.
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT), Kansas.
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Indiana.
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Nevada.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), California.
- Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT), Arkansas.
- Will Rogers International Airport (OKC), Oklahoma.
- Eppley Airfield (OMA), Nebraska.
- San Diego International Airport (SAN), California.
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Utah.
Travelers should check the TSA’s official Gateside page before visiting an airport because participation may change.
Who can use the airport access program?
Gateside allows eligible TSA PreCheck members to request permission to enter secure airport areas even when they are not flying that day. Visitors can use the pass to accompany family members or friends to their departure gates, greet arriving passengers, or access airport restaurants and shops.
The pass is free, but access is not automatic. Applicants must submit a request online one to three days before their planned visit, provide their TSA PreCheck Known Traveler Number, and select a participating airport. Approved visitors must present a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification and undergo TSA security screening.
For now, visitors who want to accompany a traveler to the gate or meet someone arriving should verify that their airport is listed on the official Gateside website before applying.