WASHINGTON (CNN) Travelers may not need to remove their shoes for airport screening in the United States after almost 20 years.
According to The New York Times, which quoted an anonymous source with knowledge of the situation, the Transportation Security Administration is abandoning the security requirement.
In response to the X reports, the White House Press Secretary said the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement was significant.
The government would not formally confirm an internal memo announcing the move, which was first reported by the blog Gate Access.
According to a statement from TSA public affairs, the agency and DHS are constantly looking for fresh and creative methods to improve the traveler experience and our robust security posture. Official channels will be used to announce any prospective changes to our security procedure.
According to CNN station WSTM, passengers departing from Syracuse, New York’s Hancock Airport were exempt from removing their shoes on Monday. However, CNN affiliate WLS observed that passengers were still being requested to take off their shoes on Tuesday morning at Chicago O Hare.
The shoe bomber, Richard Reid, 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 foiled terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives on transatlantic flights in August 2006, intelligence indicated a persistent threat, which led to the requirement that passengers 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.
For a long time, members of the TSA PreCheck Trusted Traveler program have been exempt from having to take off their shoes; nevertheless, they are still required to pay a fee and submit to a background check.
