The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is withdrawing its personnel from Salem’s city-owned airport, as local aviation supporters have yet to land a replacement airline for scheduled passenger service.
Salem City officials learned on Tuesday that the TSA will cease oversight of the facility, according to Jason Roberts, spokesman for the city’s Public Works Department.
The airport forfeited its federalized status when a November deadline passed without an identified carrier.
This shift allows the TSA to retrieve security equipment – including a checked baggage scanner, full body scanner, walk through metal detector, x-ray machine and explosive trace detectors – although Roberts noted that these items are still on site for the time being.
Avelo Airlines abruptly ended its Salem operations in July, following less than two years of service at the Salem-Willamette Valley Airport.
The carrier initially launched routes to Burbank and Las Vegas in fall 2023.
The city had invested millions in taxpayer funds to upgrade the terminal and expand staffing to support passenger flights.
In October, the city council approved $300,000 in municipal funds over three years to incentivize a new carrier and spur talks with potential airlines.
This supplemented $1.2 million collected from private sources.
Roberts said that the money will remain in the city’s general fund until it is used for subsidies or is no longer needed.
Travel Salem President and CEO Angie Villery told Salem Reporter efforts areongoing to recruit a new airline, but she had no specific updates about interest from carriers.
In an email, Roberts said: “The airport will remain operating with most of the standards outlined in the current Airport Security Program, even though it won’t be federally regulated to do so.
“Not only are these standards best practice for airports regardless of commercial service, but also maintaining them will help streamline the federalization process when that time comes.
“Currently, the Salem-assigned TSA staff begin and end their day at Salem, traveling to Portland or Eugene depending on needs at those locations.”