What Is the September 11th Security Fee
The September 11th Security Fee is a federal surcharge collected by the Transportation Security Administration from passengers on commercial flights and certain other modes of travel. It was created to help fund the TSA and its expanded security operations after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The fee appears on most one-way and round-trip tickets issued for flights within the United States and on flights departing from the U.S. to international destinations. It is separate from airline-imposed taxes and carrier fees, and it is remitted to the U.S. Treasury by the airline or ticket issuer. For more background on the fee's origin and purpose, see the official TSA overview at https://www.tsa.gov.
As of the most recent publicly available data, the September 11th Security Fee is $5.60 per one-way flight segment, with a maximum of $22.40 per one-way itinerary that includes more than two segments. A round-trip ticket therefore can be charged up to $44.80 in September 11th Security Fees if the itinerary has multiple segments. The fee applies per segment, not per passenger, when a single ticket covers multiple flights, but it is typically listed as a per-passenger charge on the ticket receipt. The rate has remained unchanged in recent years, and the fee is not prorated for shorter flights or for flights that are canceled or rebooked. Detailed fee schedules and reporting requirements are published by the Department of Transportation and the TSA.
Who Pays the September 11th Security Fee
Virtually all passengers aged two years and older on commercial flights within the United States and on international flights departing from the U.S. are required to pay the September 11th Security Fee. The charge is collected by the airline or booking platform at the time of ticket purchase and is passed through to the federal government. It applies to both main cabin and basic economy fares, as well as to premium cabins such as first class and business class, with no exemption based on fare type. The fee also applies to most one-way and round-trip itineraries, including codeshare flights operated by partner airlines. For a broader look at how aviation taxes and fees affect ticket prices, see the Forbes breakdown of airline taxes and fees at https://www.forbes.com.
Certain categories of travelers are not exempt from the fee, including children under two who occupy a seat, passengers on award tickets, and travelers on military or government orders in most cases. Some flights operated entirely outside the United States with no U.S. segment may not be subject to the fee, but most international itineraries that include a U.S. departure do incur it. The fee is also collected on flights to and from U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Airlines report the collected fees to the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Treasury on a regular basis, and the data is used to track compliance and total collections.
How the September 11th Security Fee Is Used and Regulated
The September 11th Security Fee is deposited into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and is appropriated by Congress to support TSA security operations, including passenger screening, canine teams, and infrastructure upgrades at airports. The fee is not a tax in the traditional sense but a mandatory surcharge that is set by statute and adjusted through the federal budget process. The TSA publishes annual reports on its budget and expenditures, which include the revenue collected from the September 11th Security Fee. The Department of Transportation oversees the collection and reporting of the fee by airlines and other carriers.
Regulations governing the September 11th Security Fee are codified in the Code of Federal Regulations