TSA pauses Gateside expansion, returning to original 13 airports

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) appears to have paused the expansion of Gateside by TSA PreCheck, a scheme that lets screened non-travellers pass through airport security to the gate. Earlier this week the programme was scaled back to the 13 airports where it began in September 2026, according to reports from AirlineGeeks and The Points Guy.

What Gateside allows

AirlineGeeks reports that Gateside lets TSA PreCheck members and people with Known Traveler Numbers clear security without a ticket for a departing flight. That allows them to greet or see off family and friends at the gate, visit a traveller during a layover, or use airport shops and restaurants. Such visits have generally not been permitted since the attacks of 11 September 2001.

The expansion and the rollback

The Points Guy says the programme launched as a pilot at 13 airports and appeared to expand quietly to around 300 US airports several weeks ago. TSA did not publicise the change or update its website with the longer list, but the gate-pass application page offered the wider selection and passes were issued. AirlineGeeks, citing TSA news releases, describes the expansion as reaching hundreds more airports.

This week, only the original 13 airports remained available through TSA's application portal, according to The Points Guy. Denver International Airport, one of the expansion airports, told CNN that TSA "recently returned Gateside by TSA PreCheck operations to the original 13 participating airports, at least for the time being", as quoted by AirlineGeeks. Norfolk International Airport officials told CNN they learned of the change from customer complaints and messages rather than from TSA. The Points Guy reports that a Norfolk Airport Authority representative told local station WAVY that TSA had said the programme was on hold indefinitely, except at the pilot airports.

Neither outlet could establish why the expansion was pulled. TSA had not commented at the time of publication. The Gateside website still says the programme "will roll out to more airports across the country in the coming months", The Points Guy notes.

The 13 airports still taking part

• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Detroit
• Las Vegas (Harry Reid)
• Mesa Gateway, Arizona
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Salt Lake City
• Oklahoma City
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Indianapolis
• Omaha, Nebraska
• Wichita, Kansas
• Columbus, Ohio

What this means for travellers

Anyone hoping to accompany a traveller through security should check that the airport is one of the 13 above before relying on a Gateside pass. Passes that were issued for other airports during the expansion may not be usable; the sources do not say how existing passes will be treated, so it is worth confirming with the airport or TSA.

The Points Guy lists other airports that run their own gate-pass schemes, including Albuquerque, Cleveland, Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Seattle-Tacoma, Nashville, San Francisco, Orlando and Tampa. Non-passengers using those cannot use PreCheck lanes and must go through the main checkpoint, so expect longer queues. It is not yet known when, or whether, Gateside will return to more airports.

Sources: AirlineGeeks; The Points Guy.