Latest news with #shoeremoval
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
TSA ends shoe removal rule nationwide effective immediately
You no longer need to take your shoes off at airport security. Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration, announced in a news conference July 8 that the long-standing policy requiring most passengers to remove their shoes at TSA checkpoints is no longer in effect. 'TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoint," Noem said. The change had been reported by other news organizations but had not been confirmed by the TSA. Noem said the change takes effect immediately nationwide. TSA officials had said the agency regularly adjusts its screening procedures based on a real-time threat assessment, technologies available at each checkpoint, and other considerations. Noem pointed out that some travelers may still be asked to remove their shoes if they are required to have additional screening. 'Everything the TSA does and requires of travelers has always been necessary, but they have advanced over the years,' Noem said. 'We have made advancements in how we screen individuals.' The shoe removal policy was initially put into place in 2006 in response to an attempt by an airline passenger to conceal a bomb in his shoe in December 2001. Since 2006, most travelers at airport checkpoints in the United States have had to remove their shoes as part of the standard security screening, but there were a number of exceptions. One of the major perks of the TSA's Precheck Trusted Traveler program is keeping your shoes on at checkpoints. Noem said she expects many frequent travelers will still find value in the program because they will continue to benefit from being allowed to leave compliant liquids and electronics in their bags at TSA checkpoints. Some airports with the latest technology have also quietly started allowing travelers to keep their shoes on, even in the standard security screening lane. Still, those decisions were made on a case-by-case basis and were not a blanket policy of the TSA. 'We've gone back and looked at our security processes, looked at the efficacy of everything we do," Noem said, and suggested that overall, the shoe removal policy was no longer an especially effective tool for screening passengers. She also said the agency is confident its existing technology is ready to handle the change at all airports nationwide. 'We've evaluated the equipment that every airport has and are fully confident with the no shoes policy that we still have the security needs in place at every checkpoint," Noem said. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: You'll be able to keep your shoes on at airport security
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Shoes on, pockets empty: What has and hasn't changed at TSA checkpoints
Most airline passengers in the U.S. no longer need to remove their shoes at airport security checkpoints. The policy change was announced by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference on Tuesday evening, and she stated that the change would take effect immediately. The Transportation Security Administration, which operates departure security checkpoints at U.S. airports, is part of DHS. Still, Noem said, some passengers could be required to remove their shoes if they're flagged for additional screening, and the TSA continues to require other actions at security checkpoints, often including removing liquids and electronics from carry-on bags. The major announcement from Noem's press conference was the change to the shoe removal policy. Most airline passengers in the U.S. have been required to remove their shoes since 2006, when the TSA implemented a rule in response to a passenger who attempted to conceal an explosive in his shoe in 2001. Since then, trusted traveler programs like TSA PreCheck, along with some other exceptions, have allowed some passengers to keep their shoes on when going through airport security, but Noem said that's now the default position for all travelers. Still, she warned, passengers need to listen to TSA officers and may still be required to remove their shoes sometimes. 'That doesn't mean there won't be times where someone will have to remove their shoes," for additional screening or other requirements, Noem said at the press conference Tuesday. While the new shoes-on policy is likely to be welcome by many travelers, it doesn't change everything about TSA. Travelers may still be required to remove belts and jewelry from their person and to remove liquids or electronics from their bags, depending on their Trusted Traveler status and the specific screening technology in place at the checkpoint they're passing through. Passengers will also still be required to empty their pockets before going through screening machines. Travelers may also experience additional screening if they are flagged at the primary security checkpoint. 'We are very confident that we can continue to provide hospitality to folks … while maintaining the same standard of security for passengers and our homeland," Noem said. Noem also teased that more upgrades are likely to come to TSA checkpoints as technology continues to improve. 'We're just getting started, we've implemented several transformational changes," Noem said. "We've gone back and looked at our security processes, looked at the efficacy of everything we do.' While one of the biggest benefits of TSA PreCheck was the ability for travelers to leave their shoes on, the new policy doesn't completely wipe out the perks of enrolling in the program. In many airports, TSA PreCheck members have access to shorter security lines. In addition, verified trusted travelers are able to leave compliant liquids and electronics in their bags, which are usually required to be removed in traditional screening lines. The TSA has an FAQ about the continuing benefits and other information about the program. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about TSA screening with the new shoes-on policy
Gizmodo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
TSA Will Reportedly Let You Keep Your Shoes on at Security Checks
In an age of seemingly endless bad news, there appears to be one positive development to report: you won't have to take your shoes off at airports anymore. The New York Times reports that the Transportation Security Administration has nixed the rule that requires passengers to remove their shoes while heading through security. The development was first announced by Gate Access, a newsletter that is written by a former TSA officer. The Times says a 'source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity' also confirmed the policy change, though the agency itself has not said anything about it publicly. Gizmodo reached out to the TSA for confirmation but hasn't heard back. The Times writes that the policy 'appears to be taking effect at airports across the country.' Sources interviewed by CBS further reported that the policy is being enacted in phases. Some of the first airports to benefit from it include Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Portland International Airport, and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, CBS writes. The shoe removal policy has been in place since 2006, and was partially spurred by the incident involving Richard Reid, the so-called 'shoe bomber.' Reid, a British citizen, attempted to detonate explosives that were hidden in his shoe during an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in 2001. Reid later pled guilty to terrorism charges and was sentenced to life in prison. Shoe removal hasn't been a universal policy. Several specialized programs (like TSA Precheck) have allowed some passengers to head through security without going through the annoying ritual, though this has been a special perk for paying customers and not a widespread public benefit. If it's true that the shoe-removal policy is headed out the window, the news is an unequivocal good. You won't have to inhale the smell of feet as you pass through a security process that is already thoroughly debasing and unpleasant. What's not to like about that? As Trump's government continues to wreak havoc on Americans' constitutional rights and entitlements, I suppose we can take small comfort in the fact that there is a small silver lining.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
TSA begins lifting shoe removal requirement at some US airports
Some US airports have started lifting the requirement for passengers to remove their shoes during security screenings run by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the decision "big news" from the Department of Homeland Security that runs that have removed the shoe requirement include international airports in Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale and Portland, according to the BBC's media partner CBS rule that required airline passengers to take off their shoes during security screenings had been in effect nationwide since 2006 - years after a British man hid a bomb in one of his shoes during a flight to Miami. The TSA has not yet formally announced the change but in a Monday press release said that it was "exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture". Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is due to hold a news conference later on Tuesday where she is expected to discuss the policy airports no longer implementing the security protocol include Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North have also been reports of the security measure not being enforced at other US airports, including Los Angeles International Airport and New York City's LaGuardia children and travellers with TSA PreCheck did not have to remove their footwear. To qualify for TSA PreCheck, there is an application process that includes submitting fingerprints. Shoe removal has been a part of the TSA's security screening process since the agency implemented the requirement in 2006. The rule was adopted after Richard Reid, a British man later known as the "shoe bomber", was discovered to have explosives hidden in his shoe in a December 2001 flight from Paris to failed to detonate the explosives, and after he was subdued by passengers the plane landed safely in Boston. The shoe-removal policy also followed the 11 September, 2001 terror attacks in the US after more than a dozen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial planes armed with boxcutters and knives.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
TSA No Longer Requiring Passengers to Remove Shoes at Some Airports: Reports
The TSA is planning to phase out its requirement for passengers to take off their shoes in the general screening lines at airports, sources told major outlets A memo detailing the new policy was reportedly sent out last week, and noted that while passengers can keep their shoes, if they trigger the scanner, they would need to take off their shoes for additional screening The TSA said in a statement that it was "exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture"The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is planning to do away with its shoe removal policy — which has been in place since 2006, according to multiple news outlets. Sources told ABC News, CBS News and The New York Times that the agency is planning to phase out the requirement and is already allowing passengers to keep their shoes on during security checks at some national airports. A memo detailing the new policy of allowing all passengers to keep their shoes on in all screening lanes in some national airports was reportedly sent out to TSA officers last week, per ABC News. However, if they trigger the scanner, passengers would be required to take off their shoes for additional screening. The airports that have already started implementing these changes include Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Portland International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, according to CBS News. Passengers at Los Angeles International Airport and New York City's LaGuardia Airport also appeared to have not been asked to take off their shoes in the general screening lines on Monday, July 7, according to CBS News. The TSA did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on its screening policies regarding shoes. A spokesperson for the agency told the Times in a statement: 'T.S.A. and D.H.S. are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture. Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.' Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA officer who broke the news on his travel newsletter, Gate Access, told the Times that the change is 'overdue' and was likely due to evolving technology, which can detect threats more easily. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'They should feel relieved knowing that technology has advanced so significantly that T.S.A. officers can detect threats while wearing shoes,' he told the outlet in a statement. 'In the old days, this wasn't the case.' Previously only those who had TSA pre-check — which cost about $80 to enroll — were allowed to keep their shoes on, along with their belts and jackets in screening lanes. In order to obtain TSA pre-check, passengers have to go through a clearance process with the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA began requiring passengers who were getting screened to take off their shoes after a man named Richard Reid implanted explosives in his shoes while planning to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, according to the outlets. Read the original article on People
