- The new TSA policy will end the need for passengers to remove their shoes during security screenings.
- TSA recently faced political criticism, with bills proposing for it to be dissolved and airport security operations to be privatized.
- The no-shoe policy was already exempt for TSA PreCheck program members only, but played out inconsistently across non-PreCheck checkpoints.
- Updated detection technology enables the identification of potential hazards without shoes needing to be removed.
If you considered having to remove your shoes at the airport an unnecessary hassle, worry no longer. The Transportation Security Administration has begun rolling out a new policy that won’t require passengers to take their shoes off during the regular screening, according to CBS.
The practice, which was already implemented for members of TSA’s PreCheck program, has been inconsistent over the years, as many non-PreCheck checkpoints don’t require shoes to be removed.
CBS reported the change seems to be a phased approach; some of the first airports that no longer require shoe removal include Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Portland International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and New York City’s LaGuardia Airport.
According to The New York Times, the agency has not officially announced the change. However, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, called the change “big news” in response to a post on X from a CBS correspondent.
What changed?
A TSA spokesperson told The New York Times the agency is always looking for “new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience” while providing strong safety measures.
In his traveling blog “One Mile at a Time,” travel expert Ben Schlappig wrote that an internal memo explained the update as a result of modern technology able to detect potential hazards without requiring passengers to remove their shoes.
The changes come at a time when TSA has been under scrutiny for being “bloated and ineffective.” As previously reported by the Deseret News, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., introduced a bill earlier this year to dissolve the agency, establish a separate office and privatize security operations through third-party companies.
The no-shoe policy officially started in 2006, five years after a British national later known as the “shoe bomber” attempted to detonate a homemade explosive hidden in his shoes.