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Commercial Airports

Transportation Sector Network Management

Our Mission

Enhance the security of our nation’s commercial airports by working collaboratively with airport industry stakeholders to develop efficient and effective policies and programs for airports.

What is a Commercial Airport?

TSA defines a Commercial Airport as any airport with regularly scheduled commercial passenger service.

TSNM Commercial Airports Division:

• Is the primary policy and program entity for all commercial airports.
• Develops policies to meet the changing needs of security at our nation’s airports.
• Develops and implements new programs and policies that enhance the security of airports or improve the way security measures are applied.
• Many of these programs are created  to allow the airport to better serve customers while maintaining compliance with security requirements.

Communication Initiatives

TSNM Commercial Airports maintains a close working relationship with many stakeholders to accomplish our mission, such as:

• Individual Airport Operators and Airport Security Coordinators
• The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)
• Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA)
• Government Stakeholders – Members of the Government Coordinating Council
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• State and Local Government entities

Airport Facts

• Currently there are approximately 450 commercial airports that are federalized by TSA.  Commercial airports are regulated for the purposes of security under Title 49, Code of Federal regulations, Part 1542 (49 CFR 1542).
• Federalization means that the airport is following a TSA approved security program and all commercial air service passengers, their accessible property and their checked baggage is screened through TSA approved security equipment and by TSA screening officers.
• Airports that wish to support regularly scheduled or public charter commercial air service must request federalization; adopt a TSA security program and establish a security screening checkpoint operation.

Current Projects

• Development of a program for the Federalization of airports that adopt commercial passenger service in the future.
• Secure Identification Display Area II (SIDA II) program for enhancement of security in SIDA areas. (PDF, 154kb)
•  “Hotel Pilot Project” exploring the viability of a program that allows airports with hotels physically incorporated into the airport terminal to permit registered hotel guests to enter the sterile area for access to dining and shopping.
• Advertising within the bins pilot project.  The TSA has allowed commercial advertising at passenger screening checkpoints at selected airports through out the United States.  This action is a one-year pilot agreement to assess industry interest in advertising inside the bins.

Contact

General information regarding TSNM Commercial Airports: tsnmairports@dhs.gov