Tearful gate-side goodbyes could return to California’s fifth-largest city.
Mark Thorpe, Aviation Director for the City of Fresno, is pushing to dismantle a post-9/11 security barrier that has kept non-travelers out of airport terminals for nearly 25 years. His target is Fresno Yosemite International Airport, where only ticketed passengers with boarding passes have been permitted beyond TSA checkpoints since federal mandates took effect after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Thorpe brings direct experience to the proposal. Before relocating to Fresno, he served as Chief Executive Officer at Ontario International Airport, which already operates a non-passenger access program. That airport is one of four California facilities currently leading national adoption of such measures, alongside San Diego International, Palm Springs International, and San Francisco International.
The aviation director framed the change as both emotional and economic in an interview with the Fresno Bee. “Whether it’s a family welcoming someone home who’s been gone for a long time, getting dinner at the airport or holding a business meeting, an airport can help create all these different experiences for people,” he said.
Thorpe tied the initiative to deeper community bonds and potential business growth. “It creates a love and kind of a connection with that airport. And maybe, it means they want to fly out of here more,” he added.
The revenue angle extends beyond goodwill. Thorpe noted that expanding post-security access would allow visitors to dine and shop alongside departing travelers, generating income for the airport while giving families extra minutes together before flights depart.
The proposal faces significant operational hurdles. Flooding terminals with non-ticketed guests could strain TSA staffing, inflate checkpoint wait times, and weaken the carefully controlled security perimeter that has defined American air travel since 2001.
Thorpe acknowledged those risks directly. “Safety and security — nothing comes before that. There are other exciting things at the airport. … But our core responsibility is that safety and security element,” he told the news outlet.
Pittsburgh International Airport broke ground on this trend in 2017, becoming the first major U.S. Airport to allow public gate access. The movement has since spread widely. As of June 2026, 21 U.S. Airports permitted non-ticketed visitors to obtain passes clearing them through security into terminal areas without purchasing airfare.
The federal prohibition on gate-side access emerged from the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which established the TSA and restricted post-security areas to ticketed passengers following the September 11 attacks. Emotional send-offs and terminal reunions became casualties of the new security regime, relegated to curb-side drop-offs and baggage-claim greetings.
Thorpe’s vision would restore a pre-9/11 social ritual that many travelers remember fondly. The change would mark a notable shift for Fresno Yosemite International, which serves California’s Central Valley and ranks among the state’s busier commercial airports despite its smaller profile compared to Los Angeles or San Francisco.
The aviation director’s dual emphasis on experience and economics reflects a broader industry trend. Airports nationwide have increasingly treated terminals as mixed-use destinations rather than purely functional transit points, adding upscale dining, retail, and entertainment options designed to attract spending from both passengers and local visitors.
Thorpe’s Fresno proposal now joins a growing roster of American airports testing whether post-9/11 security assumptions can bend without breaking. The outcome could influence whether other mid-sized facilities follow suit, particularly in states where multiple major airports have already cleared non-passengers for takeoff.
Fresno city officials have not announced a timeline for formal consideration of the access program.