by At some U.S. airports, passengers may no longer be asked to remove their shoes during security checks for the first time in nearly two decades.
According to media reports, the Transportation Security Administration is considering doing away with the extra security measure that has plagued travelers at US airports for years.
Should it be put into effect, it would terminate a security screening requirement that was established over two decades ago, following shoe bomber Richard Reid’s abortive attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.
The impending change to security screening was first announced in the travel newsletter Gate Access. The new policy allows travelers to keep their shoes on during searches at many U.S. airports starting this Sunday, according to an internal letter distributed to TSA personnel last week, as ABC News reported.
According to the memo, all U.S. airports are expected to implement the adjustment in the near future.
Those who were enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program, which costs around $80 for five years, were able to avoid the additional security requirements. Through the program, travelers can pass through security checks without taking off their shoes, belts, or lightweight jackets.
The claimed change in security screening has not yet received official confirmation from the TSA.
According to a TSA spokesperson’s statement on Tuesday, TSA and DHS are constantly looking for fresh and creative ways to improve the traveler experience and our robust security posture. Official channels will be used to announce any prospective changes to our security procedure.
Two months after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush signed legislation creating the TSA in 2001. The agency replaced the commercial security firms that airlines had been using with federal airport screeners.
The TSA has kept up its efforts to improve its security protocols over the years, testing face recognition software and enforcing Real ID regulations.
