After almost 20 years, travellers in the United States will no longer need to remove their shoes when passing through airport security.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Tuesday that the Transportation Security Administration will be doing away with the security requirement “with immediate effect.”
“When travellers pass through our security checkpoints, TSA will no longer require them to take off their shoes,” she stated. “While upholding safety regulations and ensuring that people are kept safe, we wish to enhance this travel experience.”
“Layer security is the key to our approach,” Noem stated. “Passengers will continue to go through several screening stages. Additionally, they will undergo identity verification.
She gave President Trump credit for taking the initiative to repeal the rule, which was being reviewed under the Biden administration.
TSA ends shoe removal rule at airport security.
According to Noem, if they can be applied securely, changes to other TSA regulations are also being contemplated.
Richard Reid, dubbed the “shoe bomber,” attempted to fire explosives concealed in his shoes with matches during a trip from Paris to Miami in December 2001.
According to an official TSA history, after a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives on transatlantic flights was foiled in August 2006, “intelligence pointing to a continuing threat” prompted the agency to require passengers to remove their shoes at TSA security checkpoints almost five years later. In response, the TSA implemented its 3-1-1 liquids restriction for carry-on baggage.
Since the implementation of the policy twenty years ago, our security technology has undergone significant modification. It has changed. Noem noted the inclusion of new scanners and additional officials in certain regions, saying, “TSA has changed.”
“We have an additional layer of security knowing who is and is not passing through our checkpoints thanks to the REAL ID compliance,” Noem stated.
TSA PreCheck members who are part of the Trusted Traveller Program have long been exempt from having to take off their shoes.
They must, however, pay an application fee and submit to a background investigation. Even though this program isn’t the only way to avoid taking off shoes, Noem says she still anticipates that travellers will find value in it.