TSA Launches $781 Million 'Horizon 25' Strategy to Modernize US Airport Checkpoints Through 2028
Why It MattersThe plan signals sustained federal investment in checkpoint screening technology and expanded private-sector screening partnerships across US airport security operations.
The Transportation Security Administration has unveiled its 'Horizon 25' Strategy, a multi-year plan valued at approximately $781 million, aimed at modernizing airport checkpoints and strengthening transportation security. TSA Administrator David P. Cummins announced the strategy in August, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and led to the creation of the agency under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. The strategy centers on three priorities: modernizing airport checkpoints, improving the passenger experience, and strengthening security across different modes of transportation. TSA currently screens more than 900 million passengers and 2 billion pieces of carry-on luggage annually across the United States.
On the technology front, TSA has already deployed approximately 1,162 Computed Tomography scanners at 296 airports through its Checkpoint Property Screening System program, which carries $215 million in baseline funding for fiscal year 2026. The agency estimates its broader checkpoint modernization work will require between $500 million and $700 million over five years. TSA also operates around 1,200 Advanced Imaging Technology millimeter-wave scanner units at nearly 400 airports, along with second-generation Credential Authentication Technology units.
Horizon 25 also calls for an expanded Screening Partnership Program, under which private companies screen passengers at participating airports while operating under TSA oversight. The agency cited staffing disruptions during federal government shutdowns in October 2025 and March 2026 as evidence that SPP airports, whose workforces are not federally employed, maintained operations more effectively during those periods. The Gold+ private screening program introduced earlier this year is not moving forward following skepticism over oversight and workforce protections.
The strategy additionally includes counter-unmanned aircraft systems capabilities. TSA is currently running a C-UAS Test Bed Program at Miami International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport to evaluate commercially available drone-detection systems in real airport environments. The Federal Aviation Administration receives more than 100 reports of unauthorized drone activity near airports each month. A recent incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport halted flights for approximately 20 minutes after pilots reported a drone over an active runway.
