Abolish the TSA? ‘Bad Idea,’ Experts Say

Private airport screening services could ‘miss things at a much higher rate’ than TSA screeners, former administrator John Pistole tells FLYING.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, April 08, 2025 at 10:46 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A TSA screener checks a passenger’s passport at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. [Courtesy: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Senators Mike Lee and Tommy Tuberville have introduced a bill to abolish the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), proposing to privatize airport security under FAA oversight, effectively returning to a pre-9/11 model.
Security experts and former TSA administrators strongly oppose the bill, arguing that pre-9/11 private security was ineffective due to low pay, high employee turnover, and airlines lobbying against stronger security measures.
Experts highlight the significant advancements made by the TSA since its inception, including the success of the TSA PreCheck program and substantial investments in advanced screening technologies like CT scanners and Credential Authentication Technology (CAT).
Concerns regarding privatization include a potential loss of critical intelligence-sharing, difficulty attracting and retaining qualified security personnel, and increased liability for airports in the event of security breaches.

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Last month, Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) introduced the Abolish the TSA Act. As its name implies, the bill would eliminate the Transportation Security Administration and privatize airport security under FAA oversight. But experts argue that returning to a pre-9/11 framework is a “bad idea.”

“Security is an inherently government function, and if you take this idea to the logical extreme, then who needs a Secret Service, or who needs a government Department of Defense or Customs and Border Protection?” John Pistole, the president of Anderson University in Indiana who served as TSA administrator under President Barack Obama from 2010 to 2014, told FLYING.