US airports to drop shoe removal rule? TSA begins rolling back 9/11 security measure
According to CBS report citing officials familiar with the development, the no-shoe-removal rule is no longer being enforced at airports including Baltimore/Washington International, Fort Lauderdale International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Portland International, Philadelphia International, and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina.
Further reports from CBS News correspondents in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and New York City's LaGuardia Airport suggest that the relaxed protocol is being observed there as well, despite not being officially listed among the initial locations.
The change affects only travellers going through standard TSA screening lines. Passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck—who have undergone a pre-screening process—were already exempt from the shoe-removal requirement.
While the TSA has not publicly announced the policy shift, a statement given to CBS News noted that both the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security are "always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture."
The shoe-removal requirement was formally implemented in 2006, several years after British national Richard Reid, now known as the "shoe bomber," attempted to blow up an American Airlines flight in December 2001 using explosives concealed in his footwear. Though Reid's plot was foiled by passengers and the flight landed safely in Boston, the incident prompted heightened security measures across US airports.
Initially voluntary, shoe removal soon became a mandated practice at security checkpoints across the United States. The recent rollback marks one of the first major relaxations of that protocol in nearly two decades.
While the change may come as a welcome relief to frequent flyers, it is not yet universal. Travellers flying from US airports not listed in the initial phase should still expect to remove their shoes unless they are part of the TSA PreCheck programme.
There is no timeline yet for a nationwide rollback, but CBS report citing industry insiders suggest more airports could be added quietly in the coming weeks.
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