William Csontos has been named Assistant Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), taking over the role from Acting Assistant Administrator Serge Potapov.
TSA Acting Administrator Ha McNeill announced the appointment in an email to agency employees, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Csontos moves into the role after serving as a Federal Security Director (FSD) for TSA in Connecticut and previously serving in an acting deputy leadership role within the Federal Air Marshal Service.
As a Federal Security Director, Csontos was responsible for overseeing daily TSA security operations, including passenger, baggage, and air cargo security programs. His responsibilities included managing federal airport security personnel, coordinating crisis and incident response plans, conducting risk assessments, and working with TSA stakeholders to support airport security operations.
Csontos has spent more than two decades in public safety and security roles. Before joining TSA, he served with the Connecticut State Police for 20 years, including as a canine handler. During his law enforcement career, he was deployed to New York City following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as part of a search and recovery mission at Ground Zero.
During that response, Csontos worked with his K-9 partner, Odin, assisting search efforts at the World Trade Center site. He later brought that experience into his TSA career, joining the agency’s National Canine Program, where he served as Chief of Canine Operations from 2007 to 2015.
