Why some US airports are dodging TSA shutdown chaos while others grind to a halt

Travelers may not even notice the difference, since private screeners are held to the same federal standards as TSA officers.

"With private screening, employees still have to be trained and follow the same federal security standards as TSA," Daniel Bubb, a former airline pilot and commercial aviation expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Fox News Digital.

One key difference is that airports using private contractors have reported fewer disruptions tied to the shutdown. Because private screeners are paid through pre-funded federal contracts, they are not impacted in the same way as TSA workers.

At Kansas City International Airport, private contractor VMD Corp. said operations remain "business as usual" despite the shutdown, according to Business Insider. Another TSA-approved contractor, BOS Security, has said private screening can be more efficient, cost-effective and have lower turnover than federal staffing.

The use of private screening remains relatively limited, but Bubb said the model is gaining relevance as this marks the second partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security in about five months.

Critics, including labor groups, however, argue that privatization could undermine safety and accountability.

The AFGE also argues that private screening companies are just in the business to make money. "Their main concern is profit, not the security of the flying public or the well-being of workers, both of which are integrally linked," the group said in its post.

Beyond the policy debate, Bubb highlighted the impact on frontline workers.

He urged passengers to stay patient and called on Congress to reach at least a temporary solution.

"If everybody can just work together, be patient and be kind to each other, this will go better," he added.

In the meantime, Elon Musk even offered to pay TSA workers' salaries during the funding impasse, though it remains unclear whether that would be legally possible.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the AFGE for comment.

Fox News Digital's Ashley J. DiMella and Michael Dorgan contributed reporting.