The TSA has launched a limited Gateside program that lets approved TSA PreCheck members without tickets enter secure airport areas at 13 airports, including to use restaurants and shops, but it is not open to all visitors or all airports.
Mostly True
The TSA has begun a new program allowing people without plane tickets to enter airport gates to visit terminal restaurants and shops.
New TSA program allows visitors without tickets to go to airport gates : NPR
Source: npr.org
At a glance
Verified September 9, 2026Key Evidence
The program is active at 13 airports and allows approved TSA PreCheck members without boarding passes to enter the secure gate area.
Visitors must apply online one to three days before their visit and receive approval.
The permitted purposes include meeting or seeing off travelers, meeting someone during a layover, and using airport restaurants and shops.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
The Transportation Security Administration has launched Gateside by TSA PreCheck, a program allowing eligible PreCheck members who are not flying to pass through security and enter participating airports’ gate areas. The program is operating at 13 airports, and visitors must apply in advance and receive approval before arriving.npr.orgnpr.orgNew TSA program allows visitors without tickets to go to airport gates : NPR
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