TSA Gateside Brings Airport Gate Access Back at 13 U.S. Airports

Air travel in the United States is becoming more flexible as the Transportation Security Administration introduces a new way for approved visitors to enter secure airport terminal areas without holding an airline ticket.

The new program, called Gateside by TSA PreCheck, is initially available at 13 U.S. airports. Eligible participants can accompany departing travelers to their gates, meet arriving passengers, visit someone during a layover, or access restaurants and shops located beyond airport security.

The change restores, on a limited basis, an airport experience that was common in the United States before the September 11, 2001 attacks, when friends and relatives could often accompany passengers all the way to the departure gate.

How Gateside by TSA PreCheck Works

Gateside does not eliminate airport security requirements. Approved visitors must still pass through a TSA checkpoint before entering the secure part of the terminal.

The program is available to eligible TSA PreCheck members and certain participants in other trusted-traveler programs who have a valid Known Traveler Number.

Visitors must request access online between one and three days before their planned airport visit. Approval is required before arrival, and participants must present an acceptable form of identification at the security checkpoint.

There is no additional charge for a Gateside pass. An approved authorization is valid for one calendar day, and participants may re-enter the secure area during that day, subject to airport operations and security conditions.

13 U.S. Airports Join the Initial Program

Gateside by TSA PreCheck is initially available at airports across several major U.S. travel markets:

• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
• Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (LAS)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• San Diego International Airport (SAN)
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
• Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
• Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)
• Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT)
• Will Rogers International Airport (OKC)
• Eppley Airfield in Omaha (OMA)
• Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona (AZA)

TSA has indicated that additional airports are expected to join the program as it expands.

What Gateside Means for Travelers

The program does not change the flight itself, but it can make the airport experience more convenient for both travelers and the people accompanying them.

A departing passenger can potentially be accompanied farther into the terminal instead of saying goodbye before the security checkpoint. Arriving passengers may be met closer to their gate, while people with longer connections can meet approved visitors without leaving the secure area and passing through security again.

Gateside can also provide access to airport restaurants, shops and other terminal facilities located beyond security for approved visitors who are not traveling that day.

The initiative reflects a broader effort to use trusted-traveler programs, identity verification and newer screening technology to simplify parts of the passenger experience while retaining security controls.

What About Miami International Airport?

Miami International Airport is not included in the initial group of 13 Gateside airports, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is not currently participating either.

However, Miami International Airport has already introduced other technology designed to make security screening more efficient.

In February 2026, MIA launched TSA PreCheck Touchless ID at concourses D, E and H. The system allows eligible passengers flying with participating airlines to verify their identity through facial comparison technology without routinely presenting a physical ID or boarding pass at the checkpoint.

The technology is designed to make identity verification faster and more seamless. Eligible passengers must opt in through a participating airline and provide the required traveler information, while travelers are still advised to carry acceptable physical identification as a backup.

U.S. Airports Continue to Modernize the Travel Experience

Gateside is part of a broader shift in U.S. airport operations toward more streamlined passenger processing and greater use of trusted-traveler programs, biometric identity verification and newer screening technology.

For people who travel frequently between Miami, other U.S. cities and international destinations, these changes can gradually reduce some of the friction associated with airport travel.

The immediate impact remains limited because Gateside currently operates at a relatively small number of airports and requires advance approval.

Its expansion, however, shows that airport authorities and federal security agencies are reconsidering how approved travelers and visitors can move through terminals while maintaining existing security requirements.

For now, travelers and visitors should verify whether their airport participates in Gateside, confirm their eligibility and request authorization before arriving at the terminal.

As the program expands, it may gradually change the way families, friends and frequent travelers use airport terminals across the United States.