On Tuesday, July 8th, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, announced that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will no longer require passengers to take off their shoes during security screenings at U.S. airports, effectively ending this unpopular policy. Noem also stated that the evaluation to cancel other security requirements, such as the ban on carrying liquids, is currently underway.
For nearly 20 years, the TSA has required the majority of American air travelers to remove their shoes during security screenings. Later that Tuesday afternoon, Noem made the announcement at a press conference held at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., stating that TSA will immediately eliminate the shoe removal security requirement.
“We aim to improve the travel experience while maintaining security standards to ensure passenger safety,” she said.
Noem explained, “TSA implemented the ‘shoe removal’ policy in 2006, which has been in place for almost 20 years now. Over the past two decades since the implementation of this policy, our security screening technologies have undergone significant changes, and TSA has evolved. We now adopt a multi-layered, whole-of-government approach to security screening, striving to create an environment that people expect and experience when entering airports.”
“The key to our approach is layered screening,” she said. “Passengers will still undergo multiple layers of screening and will also undergo identity verification.”
According to a TSA press release, the cancellation of the policy aims to “simplify the passenger security screening process, enhance passenger satisfaction, and reduce wait times.”
Noem stated that Americans, travelers, and visitors are expected to be very excited about the cancellation of the shoe removal security policy. However, she emphasized, “I want to clarify that this does not mean that such situations will not arise in the future: some individuals may encounter different circumstances, require additional screening, or be asked to remove their shoes. However, in the vast majority of cases, this policy will no longer require everyone passing through security checkpoints to remove their shoes.”
The Transportation Security Administration began requiring passengers to remove their shoes for explosives screening during security screenings in August 2006. This policy was implemented nearly five years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. At that time, Richard Reid, also known as the “shoe bomber,” attempted to ignite an explosive device hidden in his shoe on a flight from Paris to Miami.
In 2013, TSA launched the PreCheck Trusted Traveler Program, where members are not required to remove their shoes. Children under 12 years old and adults aged 75 and older are exempt from shoe removal.
Noem said, “Compliance with REAL ID has added another layer to our security measures, allowing us to clearly identify who is passing through our security checkpoints and who is not.”
She also introduced the convenience new technologies bring to security screening. “The new security procedures will help us quickly inspect your luggage, ensuring that we can scan people as they go through customs and security lanes. If individuals choose to opt-in, we may use biometric technology to identify individuals more quickly so that they can go through customs in a more streamlined manner. Therefore, all these resources will be used to create a security system that is more efficient, safer, and more advanced than ever before,” she said.
Noem also mentioned that the evaluation to cancel security measures regarding liquids, coats, and belts is ongoing, stating, “America’s golden age is here.”
This shift comes as the United States prepares to streamline large-scale events held nationwide, such as the United States’ 250th-anniversary celebration, the Olympics, and the World Cup.
“We are very confident that we can continue to provide warm and friendly service to the American people, American travelers, and visitors, while maintaining the same security standards for passengers and our homeland,” Noem concluded.