For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain US airports.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through US airports, according to media reports.
If implemented, it would put an end to a security screening mandate put in place almost two decades ago, several years after “shoe bomber” Richard Reid’s failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.
The travel newsletter Gate Access was first to report that the security screening change is coming. ABC News reported on an internal memo sent to TSA officers last week that states the new policy allows travelers to keep their shoes on during screenings at many US airports beginning this Sunday.
The plan is for the change to occur at all US airports soon, the memo said.
Travelers were able to skirt extra security requirement if they were part of the TSA PreCheck program, which costs about $80 for five years. The program allows airline passengers to get through the screening process without removing shoes, belts or light jackets.
The TSA has not officially confirmed the reported security screening change yet.
“TSA and [the Department of Homeland Security] are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance passenger experience and our strong security posture,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. “Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”
The TSA began in 2001 when George W Bush, the US president at the time, signed legislation for its creation two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks that year. The agency included federal airport screeners that replaced the private companies airlines had used to handle security.
Over the years, the TSA has continued to look for ways to enhance its security measures, including testing facial recognition technology and implementing Real ID requirements.
