Travelers may not have to remove their shoes for security checks at U.S. airports for the first time in over two decades.
According to media reports, the Transportation Security Administration wants to do away with the extra security measure that has plagued travelers at US airports for years.
Should it be put into effect, it would terminate a security screening requirement that was placed in place nearly two decades ago, following shoe bomber Richard Reid’s unsuccessful attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.
The impending change to security screening was first announced in the travel newsletter Gate Access. According to an internal document distributed to TSA personnel last week, which ABC News reported on, the new policy permits passengers to wear their shoes during routine scans at many U.S. airports starting on Sunday. Soon, that would spread to every airport.
According to the memo, all U.S. airports are expected to implement the adjustment in the near future.
Prior until this, travelers could avoid the additional security requirement by enrolling in the TSA PreCheck program, which costs around $80 for five years. Through the program, travelers can pass through security checks without taking off their shoes, belts, or lightweight jackets.
In addition to their carry-on luggage, all travelers aged 12 to 75 must take off their shoes, which are scanned.
The claimed change in security screening has not yet received official confirmation from the TSA.
A TSA representative said in a statement on Tuesday that the agency and DHS are constantly looking for fresh and creative ways to improve the traveler experience and our robust security posture. Official channels will be used to announce any prospective changes to our security procedure.
Two months after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush signed legislation creating the TSA in 2001. The agency replaced the commercial security firms that airlines had been using with federal airport screeners.
Testing facial recognition technology and enforcing Real ID standards are just two examples of the ways the TSA has worked to improve its security procedures over the years.
The TSA at screening checkpoints is one of the main sources of annoyance for travelers. In an April social media post, Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy questioned the public on what would facilitate travel.
Duffy wrote on X the next day, “It’s very clear that TSA is the #1 travel complaint.” The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for that. I’ll talk to @Sec_Noem about this.
According to her department, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will hold a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday night to unveil a new TSA policy that would streamline passenger screening, increase traveler satisfaction, and shorten wait times.
Although TSA Administrator David Pekoske was chosen by Trump during his first tenure in the White House, he was sacked by Trump in January while serving a second five-year term. President Joe Biden reappointed Pekoske.
Pekoske’s departure was not explained. The TSA website states that the administrator position is still open.
