Travellers at several US airports faced extensive security queues this weekend, a potential harbinger of wider travel disruption as the ongoing government shutdown continues to bite. However, such widespread delays are not a typical concern for San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
SFO is among nearly two dozen US airports that utilise a lesser-known federal programme, allowing them to outsource security screenings to private contractors while still operating under TSA oversight. This arrangement means that contractors' salaries are drawn from a federal contract, which often remains active even when the government ceases other operations.
