The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is dropping the requirement for travelers for remove their shoes as they go through security checkpoints at airports, according to several reports.
A “source” who spoke on the “condition of anonymity” told the New York Times that the TSA has been “dropping” its shoe removal requirement for travelers, though the agency has not “officially announced this change.”
A spokesman from the TSA explained that the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were “always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience.”
“Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels,” the TSA spokesman added.
Jennifer Jacobs, a senior White House reporter with CBS News, also reported that “travelers no longer have to remove their shoes to get through the regular line at TSA security checkpoints” in airports.
According to One Mile At A Time, in an “internal memo” the TSA explained that “this updated rule is a result of both technological advancements and a comprehensive reassessment of threat-level risks.” The report continued:
The claim is that modern scanning equipment is now able to detect potential hazards without requiring shoes to be removed. It’s interesting to note that the TSA is planning on maintaining its restrictions on liquids until 2040, despite screening technology being improved there as well. So the difference in how those two things are being handled is quite interesting.
Several people took to social media to express that the news that the TSA would no longer be requiring travelers to remove their shoes in airports made them “very happy,” while others questioned what the “differences” would now be between TSA PreCheck, which allows people to keep their shoes, jackets, and belts on, versus the normal TSA security checkpoint line.
“I don’t travel much these days but this makes me very happy,” one person wrote in a post on X.
“For decades, the federal government has been weaponizing ‘safety’ to chip away at freedom,” Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) wrote in a post on X. “Another absurd policy trashed by President Trump.”
“Common sense again for the win!” Tennessee state Rep. Jason Zachary (R) wrote in a post on X.
“Yuge news for American travelers,” pollster Frank Luntz wrote in a post on X.
“You’re kidding me,” another person wrote. “We really are in a new era.”
“So what will the differences now be between pre-check and normal?” one person asked.
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