The 2006 rule is lifted with immediate effect following an announcement by Homeland Security
Soldecanarias.net
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced the end of one of the most unpopular airport security rules: the requirement for passengers to remove their shoes at checkpoints. The change takes effect immediately, nearly two decades after the rule was implemented.
The announcement came during a press conference at Washington’s Ronald Reagan Airport, where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that while multiple security layers will remain in place, the travel experience will now be “more streamlined without compromising protection.”
Though shoe removal is no longer mandatory, Noem clarified that some travelers may still be asked to do so if additional screening is deemed necessary. Other requirements—such as removing belts and jackets, and taking out laptops and liquids—remain in effect for now, but are under review as part of a broader pilot program to modernize airport screening over the next 6 to 9 months.
Noem said the decision was made possible thanks to new technology and the agency’s “layered security” model, which includes advanced scanners, AI tools, more personnel, and the rollout of REAL ID identification requirements.
Some airports—including Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Piedmont Triad in North Carolina—had already implemented the change in recent days, anticipating the federal announcement.
The aviation sector welcomed the move. Nicholas Calio, CEO of Airlines for America, called it “a smart, risk-based decision that leverages advanced technology to improve policy.”
The shoe-removal rule was introduced after British terrorist Richard Reid, known as the “shoe bomber,” attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his footwear on a Paris-to-Miami American Airlines flight in 2001. Reid was subdued by passengers, and the plane landed safely in Boston.
Travelers enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program will continue to enjoy additional perks such as keeping their belts and jackets on and leaving items in their bags. Noem concluded by stating, “This is just the first step in a broader transformation of the travel experience in the United States.”
