This US Airport Will No Longer Have TSA. Here's What It Means For Travelers

Heading out on a scenic road trip around Oregon? Chasing the incredible waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park? If so, you'll no longer be able to fly in or out of the domestic airport in Salem. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has officially stopped staffing Oregon's Salem-Willamette Valley airport (SLE) — and no, that doesn't mean you can breeze through without security. Without TSA screening, there can be no commercial flights.

After its only commercial airline, Avelo Airlines, ended scheduled passenger service in 2025, the Salem City Council, local tourism boards, and community leaders all worked toward finding a replacement carrier to keep flights going. However, the airport couldn't reach an agreement before the deadline, and SLE lost its federalized status. "Now that SLE is not federalized, TSA security regulations no longer apply, and SLE will operate as a General Aviation airport," Salem Public Works spokesperson Jason Roberts told USA Today. General aviation airports are mainly used for private planes, flight training, firefighting aircraft, and cargo shipments.

Avelo had been Salem's only commercial carrier for about two years before leaving, and previously operated routes to Burbank, Las Vegas, and Sonoma, California. The controversial budget airline also recently pulled out of its hub at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in California to focus on East Coast growth.

Without TSA screening, the airport can't host scheduled passenger service. This leaves Salem's 180,000 residents and inbound travelers to rely on larger hubs for domestic travel, like Portland International Airport (over an hour north) or Eugene Airport (over an hour south). While Portland is well-connected internationally, Eugene Airport connects passengers to just a handful of major U.S. cities, including Seattle, San Diego, Denver, and Chicago. With no clear path or solution for SLE to resume commercial service on the horizon, travelers will be dependent on nearby hubs for the foreseeable future.

Interestingly, all TSA screening equipment remains at the airport. Full-body scanners, baggage scanners, metal detectors, and other devices remain in place, but if another airport needs equipment, Salem's could be relocated. It's all essentially on standby — a kind of aviation limbo that mirrors the airport's broader situation. If a new airline signs on after the equipment is gone, replacing and reinstalling TSA-approved screening infrastructure could take several months, potentially delaying any return of commercial flights. So if you're heading to the Salem area, consider flying into Eugene. This under-the-radar Oregon gem is one of the best college towns in the U.S.