The TSA Pulled Out Of This Oregon Airport Left Abandoned By Commercial Airlines
In the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and airports go together like peanut butter and jelly. It's hard to imagine any airport without a TSA presence, complete with lines, scanners, and the low-level fear of triggering a time-consuming secondary screening. But that TSA presence is also apparently predicated on an airport having commercial flights. Commercial flights stopped during the summer of 2025 at Salem, Oregon's Salem-Willamette Valley Airport, which locals often call "McNary Field." But no matter how you refer to the airport, you won't find the TSA there anymore.
The only commercial airline flying at the small airport was the U.S.-based budget airline Avelo. It took passengers between Salem and Las Vegas or Burbank, and the last flight was August 10, according to the Salem Statesman Journal. And by the end of 2025, the TSA no longer had an active presence at the airport. However, cargo flights are still operating, USA Today reported. A lack of commercial flights at this airport isn't actually all that new. Avelo Airlines started operating there in 2023, and before that, it had been around 15 years since the airport had commercial passengers.
Many in Salem would like a commercial airline option and the return of TSA
The TSA equipment, such as scanners, is all still at the Salem-Willamette Valley Airport as of January 2026. But if and when it gets removed and there is a commercial airline that wants to take a chance on Salem, it could take months to get TSA back up and running again, per USA Today. Getting an airline back is something that the city wants. In October 2025, the city voted to spend $300,000 spread over the next three years to try and bring in another commercial airline.
One of Salem's city councilors, Vanessa Nordyke, said in a 2024 press release, "The Willamette Valley offers [a plethora] of riches for travelers of all ages and interests ... we are your gateway to Oregon's capital city and so much more." Flying into the heart of the Willamette Valley, Oregon's wine region, gives travelers easier access to lovely little cities like Falls City.
As for those who live in the area, the Portland International Airport is one of America's most beautiful airports, and it's about 60 miles north from Salem. About 70 miles south from Salem is the Eugene Airport, so it's not like area residents are entirely stranded. But when you're trying to catch a flight, every minute counts.