TSA finally lets passengers keep shoes on during airport security screenings
After nearly 20 years of making travelers remove their shoes, the TSA is officially walking back one of its most loathed policies.
As of this week, passengers going throughairportsecurity in the US will no longer be required to take off their shoes at TSA checkpoints, marking the end of an era for smelly bins and awkwardbarefootshuffles.
Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, confirmed the policy shift in a July 8 press conference,saying: “TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoint.”
It’s a major victory for passengers who believe the policies were out of date.
Airport security advancements let passengers keep shoes on
The rule had been in place since the early 2000s, originally introduced in the wake of the infamous 2001 “shoe bomber”incidentand later reinforced following a failed 2006 terrorist plot involving liquid explosives.
In recent years, however, many travelers questioned whether the rule was still effective. DHS officials now agree.
TSA will no longer require passengers to remove their shoes during airport security screeningpic.twitter.com/HqkofYLGCp
“We’ve gone back and looked at our security processes, looked at the efficacy of everything we do,” Noem said.
She emphasized that TSA’s procedures have evolved with technology and updated threat assessments.
“Everything theTSA doesand requires of travelers has always been necessary, but they have advanced over the years,” she said. “We have made advancements in how we screen individuals.”
Previously, only select groups such as TSA PreCheck members, children under 13, and adults over 75 were exempt from removing their shoes during screening.
This update is also expected to improve the experience at the airport and “drastically decrease passenger wait times.”
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