The Department of Homeland Security is restoring a pre-9/11 practice, allowing some non-travelers to pass through security checkpoints and meet loved ones at airport gates—a move that reverses two decades of post-attack restrictions.
The initiative, called Gateside by TSA PreCheck, permits eligible PreCheck members to receive a one-day authorization to enter secure areas at participating airports without a boarding pass. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Fox News that the program "doesn't compromise security at all" and integrates with existing known-passenger protocols.
Before Sept. 11, 2001, airport visitors could walk through security to escort or greet arriving and departing passengers. After the attacks, those practices were largely banned, with exceptions only for those transporting small children, elderly relatives, or disabled passengers.
Thirteen airports now offer Gateside, including Los Angeles International, Dallas Fort Worth International, Harry Reid International in Las Vegas, San Diego International, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, John Glenn Columbus International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National.
Mullin cited his own experience—needing special permission to walk his children to the gate when they were younger—as an example of the personal friction the old restrictions created. The program addresses family desires to pick up elderly parents, grandparents, or returning veterans directly at the gate.
Non-travelers can also use Gateside to meet someone during a layover or visit restaurants and shops in the secure area.
Mullin acknowledged that the TSA, which screens 2.4 million passengers daily, "gets a bad name." He expressed hope that Gateside would improve public perception of the agency.
