Trump proposes privatisation of airport security operations amid TSA crisis

Washington: President Donald Trump on Friday proposed to begin ⁠the process of privatising airport security ⁠operations handled ‌by the ​Transportation Security Administration, the federal agency created after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The ​White House ⁠budget proposes cutting the TSA budget by $52 million and would ⁠require ‌small airports to enroll in a program in ‌which TSA pays for ⁠private screeners. TSA has about 50,000 federal ‌employees who ‌handle screening at nearly ‌all U.S. airports.

Budget documents ‌said that airports currently using the program have demonstrated savings compared ⁠to ⁠federal screening operations.

In recent weeks major U.S. airports suffered massive disruptions after Transportation Security Administration security officers went unpaid ​since mid-February after ​funding for the ​workers was halted in a ​budget dispute.