Compensation to the sponsor for the airport security system integrated support testing {assist), the program for applied research in airport security (PARAS), and performance and operational system…

The Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region awarded $5 million to National Safe Skies Alliance, Inc. on July 15, 2026, under the Airport Improvement Program (CFDA 20.116), obligating the full amount for compensation supporting three specialized initiatives: the Airport Security System Integrated Support Testing (ASSIST) program, the Program for Applied Research in Airport Security (PARAS), and the Performance and Operational System Testing (POST) program.

National Safe Skies Alliance, a tax-exempt nonprofit based in Louisville, Tennessee, delivers airport security infrastructure research, testing, and operational support focused on security system assessments and capabilities across the national airport system. Performance of work occurs in Louisville, TN, with an ultimate completion date of July 29, 2030. This is the fourth consecutive $5 million project grant the FAA Southern Region has awarded to the recipient for these same three programs, continuing a pattern established in prior years (August 2023, August 2024, and August 2025). The organization's federal footprint is entirely grant-based and concentrated within the FAA's airport security research mission; it holds no federal contracts or seats on government-wide acquisition vehicles.

Compensation to the sponsor for the airport security system integrated support testing {assist), the program for applied research in airport security (PARAS), and performance and operational system testing (POST)