Who screens passengers at airports: government agencies, airports, airlines and contractors

What the global rules require

Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention requires each state to screen originating passengers and their cabin bags before they board, and to screen originating hold bags before loading. Screening methods must be able to detect explosives. For hold bags, the appropriate authority in each state defines the detailed screening standards ¹.

The Annex sets the outcome, not the employer. As a result, the people at the checkpoint may work for a national agency, a police force, an airport company, an airline or a private security firm, depending on the country.

Country table

The table summarises who carries out passenger screening and who oversees it, based on official sources and one press report, as of 19 October 2026. Arrangements can differ between airports in the same country.

Government agency: the United States and its private option

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 19 November 2001 created the Transportation Security Administration. It required screening at US airports to be done by federal government employees, with listed exceptions ².

One exception became the Screening Partnership Program. In November 2002, TSA began a two-year pilot with private screening companies at five airports, and it set up the programme in November 2004 ⁴. TSA lists 21 airports in the programme. Private companies run screening there under federal oversight and must follow all TSA screening procedures ³. A TSA-funded study found these airports performed at about the same level as federal ones. In a June 2015 review, GAO said the study's cost and performance analysis had limitations that affected its conclusions ⁴.

Crown agency with contractors: Canada

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) is responsible for screening, but screening officers work for contracted security firms. CATSA lists two firms as of April 2024. GardaWorld Aviation Services covers its Central and Eastern regions and Paladin Airport Security Services covers its Pacific and Prairies regions. All screening officers must be CATSA certified ⁵. CATSA names Transport Canada as its regulator ⁶.

Airports and private firms under state oversight: Europe

In the European Union, Regulation (EC) No 300/2008 sets common standards. Each member state names a single aviation security authority and runs a national programme and a quality control programme. Airport operators and airlines must run their own security programmes ⁷.

Countries then split the work in different ways. In the UK, explanatory notes to the 2001 anti-terrorism law refer to companies contracted by airports and airlines to provide passenger and baggage screening ⁸. UK government directions place duties such as deploying security scanners on the airport operator ⁹.

In Germany, the tasks of the aviation security authority are carried out by the federal states on behalf of the federal government, or by a federal authority named by the interior ministry ¹⁰. The authority may hand set screening tasks to private firms or individuals who meet tests of suitability and reliability ¹¹.

In France, the Transport Code lets screening of people and bags be done by certified agents under the control of judicial police officers and customs officers. The work falls under the Internal Security Code rules for private security activities ¹². In the Netherlands, the government says the Ministry of Justice and Security has final responsibility, the airport operator and airlines carry out the security measures, and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee supervises them for the NCTV ¹⁴.

Airlines: Japan, and a planned change

In Japan, airlines carry out passenger screening. A December 2024 report by a transport ministry working group said Japan is the only country that relies on airlines for this. It noted that the United States moved screening from airlines to the state after 2001 ¹³.

An amendment to the Civil Aeronautics Act gave screening a legal basis from 10 March 2022. A June 2023 expert panel said screening should move to airport administrators, as in many European countries. It said passengers should pay part of the cost in a transparent way, with the state and airlines paying a share ¹³.

Police and security forces

In Argentina, the Airport Security Police (PSA) applies ICAO Annex 17 under Airport Security Law 26,102. It inspects passengers, bags, cargo and supplies boarding aircraft at airports in the National Airport System ¹⁶.

Pakistan's Airports Security Force was set up in 1976 under the Airports Security Force Act of 1975. It is an executive department of the Ministry of Defence and secures 25 operational airports, 12 international and 13 domestic ¹⁵.

In India, a parliamentary committee reported in March 2022 that 64 of 118 operational airports had cover from the Central Industrial Security Force, with 54 airports having no such cover. It recommended CISF cover at all operational airports. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is the regulator under the Ministry of Civil Aviation ¹⁷.

Other models

New Zealand's Aviation Security Service screens all departing international passengers and their bags, and domestic passengers on aircraft with 90 or more seats at security-designated airports ¹⁹. The Philippines' Office for Transportation Security had 2,129 staff at 51 airports in August 2024 ¹⁸.

In Australia, regulations refer to the entity responsible for operating each screening point at a security controlled airport as the screening authority, and the Home Affairs secretary can set screening requirements by notice ²¹. Home Affairs says screening is compulsory for everyone entering the secure area, including children, crew and airport workers ²⁰.

Turkey's civil aviation security regulation of 22 May 2026 assigns duties to airport, terminal and airline operators and private security firms. It defines the checkpoint commander as a trained law enforcement officer and requires screeners to be certified ²². South Africa's regulator approves screener organisations and certifies screeners ²³. Nigeria's regulator required certification of all screeners from 1 August 2016, covering the airport authority, airlines, airport operators and security providers ²⁴.