The Transportation Security Administration has launched a new pilot program called Gateside by TSA PreCheck, allowing eligible members without plane tickets to pass through airport security and access gates at 13 U.S. airports, reviving a pre-9/11 practice for welcomes, send-offs, and layovers.
For more than two decades, airport security checkpoints have marked a hard boundary for non-travelers, cutting off families from gate-side farewells and greetings. That restriction is now lifting for a specific group of trusted travelers under a new initiative launched by the Transportation Security Administration. The program, designated as Gateside by TSA PreCheck, lets approved individuals enter secure gate areas without holding a boarding pass, according to national reporting.
How Gateside by TSA PreCheck Works at Participating Airports
The program is free to use, but participants must clear an online application process between one and three days before their planned visit. Applicants must already hold TSA PreCheck membership or possess a Known Traveler Number. Once approved via the online portal, visitors must present an acceptable form of identification at a TSA PreCheck lane to enter the terminal.
Passes are valid for a single calendar day, with re-entry permitted during that timeframe. For visitors who lack standard acceptable identification, the agency permits the use of TSA ConfirmID to verify identity for a $45 fee. Children are permitted to join participants but must be included directly on the parent or guardian’s application.
The 13 Initial Airports Participating in the Pilot Program
The rollout covers 13 facilities across the United States. While major hubs like Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and Harry Reid International Airport are included in the initial launch, the geographic spread encompasses regional airports as well. Each participating location enforces a daily limit on the total number of program passes issued.
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Los Angeles International Airport in California
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas
- San Diego International Airport in California
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Kansas
- Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana
- Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Arkansas
- Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma
- Eppley Airfield in Nebraska
- Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah
Reviving a Pre-9/11 Tradition Amid Mixed Passenger Reactions
Before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, non-ticketed visitors routinely accompanied passengers straight to departure gates. The new program aims to bring back the moments that once defined air travel, allowing individuals to meet friends during layovers, access terminal dining and shopping, or greet service members returning from military deployments.
Travelers interviewed at participating hubs expressed divergent views on opening secure areas wider. Some voiced concern over potential congestion in already busy terminals.
“I think it would be a mess. Everything’s already crowded and busy, and then you got strollers and little kids.”
Nadine, traveler
Other passengers pointed to the emotional value of reconnecting with loved ones at the gate, noting the careful balance required at security checkpoints.
“I think that’s nice and risky at the same time. Families would like to, you know, take their loved ones all the way to the gate and see them off. You know, that used to happen before.”
Lisi Abdul-Kareem, traveler
Previous Terminal Access Precedents and Next Steps
While the federal pilot is new, a handful of individual airports operated independent gate-access programs in past years. Pittsburgh International Airport introduced its myPITpass program in 2017, though it faced suspensions during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent airport construction. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport launched a similar system permitting up to 300 non-ticketed visitors daily, while facilities in Philadelphia and Kansas City developed their own variations.
The federal agency indicated it will assess the current pilot to expand the initiative to additional airports in the coming months, running alongside other checkpoint modernization trials such as self-service ID checks tested at select hubs.