Passengers no longer required to remove their shoes at US's major airports? Here's what TSA say

Passengers at several major airports in the United States (US) are no longer required to remove their shoes during standard preflight screenings, CBS News has confirmed. The decision was a part of the 2006 provisions which followed after British national Richard Reid, now popular as the "shoe bomber," attempted to blow up an American Airlines flight in December 2001 using explosives fitted in his footwear.

Officials reported that the longstanding rule was phasing out at selected locations without any official announcement. Meanwhile, two sources familiar with the change confirmed that Passengers at some airports across the US will no longer be required to remove their shoes during regular preflight security checks.

The change comes amid reports that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has let the security rule expire for travellers going through the standard TSA screening lines. In a statement to CBS News on Monday, TSA stated that the agency and the Department of Homeland Security are continuously exploring new and innovative ways to upgrade the passenger experience and our strong security posture.

Citing officials familiar with the development, CBS News confirmed that the no-shoe-removal rule will not be enforced at airports including Baltimore/Washington International, Fort Lauderdale International, Portland International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Philadelphia International, and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina.

Further reports suggest that the relaxed protocol is being perceived there, despite not being officially listed among the initial locations. This change applies only to travellers using the standard TSA screening lanes; those enrolled in TSA PreCheck, who have already completed a pre-screening process, and were never required to remove their shoes.

“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," a T.S.A. spokesman said, the New York Times reported.

Why was the shoe-removal introduced?

The shoe-removal requirement was introduced in 2006 after British national Richard Reid, popularly known as a “shoe bomber”, attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his footwear on an American Airlines flight in December 2001. Although Reid’s plan was thwarted by other passengers, and the flight safely landed in Boston, the incident led to stricter security protocols at US airports.

Originally a voluntary measure, shoe removal quickly became mandatory at security checkpoints nationwide. This recent rollback represents one of the most significant easings of that rule in nearly twenty years.

Meanwhile, no official timeline has been announced for expanding the relaxation nationwide, but a CBS report citing industry insiders indicates that additional airports could adopt the change quietly in the coming weeks.