Full Breakdown
Gateside by TSA PreCheck: Trusted Travelers Can Access Airport Gates Without a Ticket
9/9/2026, 10:34:36 AM
Core Event – New “Gateside” Pilot Program
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has launched a pilot program called Gateside by TSA PreCheck that lets eligible TSA PreCheck members and other travelers with a Known Traveler Number (KTN) pass through security and enter the airside gate area without holding an airline ticket. Applicants must submit an online request one to three days before the intended visit; approved passes are free, valid for a single calendar day, and allow multiple re-entries that day. Children may be added to an adult’s application.
Background & Context – From Post-9/11 Restrictions to Limited Reversal
After the September 11 attacks, U.S. airports barred anyone without a boarding pass from passing security checkpoints, a policy that eliminated the pre-9/11 tradition of friends and family accompanying passengers to the gate. Over the ensuing decades, TSA introduced Trusted Traveler programs such as TSA PreCheck, but gate access remained limited to ticketed travelers or rare airline-issued passes. The Gateside pilot marks the first coordinated, TSA-backed reversal of that restriction.
Data & Statistics
- Participating airports: 13 U.S. locations – Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT), Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT), Will Rogers International Airport (OKC), Eppley Airfield (OMA), San Diego International Airport (SAN), Indianapolis International Airport (IND).
- Eligibility: TSA PreCheck members or any traveler with a qualifying KTN.
- Application window: 1–3 days before the visit; approval required before arrival.
- Pass validity: One calendar day; re-entry permitted on that day.
- Cost: Free; children may accompany an approved adult.
- Availability: May be limited during peak travel times.
Official Statements & Responses
The agency notes that approved visitors must present a valid ID in a TSA PreCheck lane and that the program differs from airline-issued gate passes, which require standard security lanes. TSA also indicates plans to expand the pilot to additional airports in the coming months.
On-the-Ground Reports
Travelers who have received a Gateside pass report using the dedicated PreCheck lane to reach terminal restaurants and retail areas, and families have used the pass to accompany children to gates for departures and arrivals. Airport staff note that the program requires verification of the visitor’s status on a mobile dashboard; printed copies are not accepted.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Attacks on aviation have an impact much greater than attacks on anything else because aviation commands the attention of the world as the thing that links the world,” — Mary Schiavo, an aviation disaster attorney
- “The challenge is not formulating attack scenarios,” — Jane Garvey, former FAA administrator
- “Any one layer of security can be breached,” — Sheldon Jacobson
These quotations, drawn from aviation-security commentary, underscore the broader context of evolving airport security measures.
