A limited pilot now lets approved visitors walk you to the gate — no boarding pass required
More than two decades after the September 11 attacks locked airport gate areas behind ticketed-passengers-only barriers, the Transportation Security Administration is quietly testing a rollback. The new Gateside by TSA PreCheck pilot lets approved, non-ticketed visitors clear security and reach the gate alongside travelers — reviving a version of pre-9/11 airport life that most flyers under 40 have never experienced.
The change doesn’t touch screening itself. Anyone using Gateside still passes through standard TSA checkpoints. What’s different is who’s allowed to try.
Which Airports Are Testing Gateside?
The pilot currently runs at 13 U.S. airports:
- Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) — Mesa, Arizona
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) — Columbus, Ohio
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) — Texas
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) — Michigan
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) — Kansas
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND) — Indiana
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) — Las Vegas, Nevada
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — California
- Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) — Little Rock, Arkansas
- Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Eppley Airfield (OMA) — Omaha, Nebraska
- San Diego International Airport (SAN) — California
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) — Utah
What Changed After 9/11?
Before the 2001 attacks, non-passengers could typically walk through security to see family off at the gate. Afterward, the Department of Homeland Security and TSA restricted checkpoint access almost entirely to ticketed travelers, carving out narrow exceptions for people escorting unaccompanied minors or passengers with disabilities. That barrier has stood, largely unchanged, for nearly 25 years — until now.
Who Can Use the Program?
Access isn’t automatic. Travelers must apply for a Gateside pass through TSA between one and three days before their visit, and eligibility hinges on already holding TSA PreCheck or a Known Traveler Number. Approved applicants receive a pass usable with valid identification through the PreCheck screening lane. It functions strictly as gate access — not as a boarding pass, and not as a ticket to fly.
What Can Visitors Do Inside the Airport?
Once through screening, approved visitors can walk passengers to their departure gate, greet arriving travelers, and linger in restaurants and shops beyond the checkpoint. TSA and participating airports see particular value for families sending off elderly parents or young children, where an extra set of hands — or simply more time together — matters most…