Latest news with #TSAprecheck
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
U.S. travelers can keep shoes on at airport security, TSA says
U.S. travelers no longer have to worry about removing their shoes to go through standard airport security checkpoints, a change that will likely speed up screening for airline passengers. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rolled out the policy change at an event at Washington Reagan National Airport on Tuesday, saying the Transportation Security Administration's layered approach to security allowed the update. The change takes effect immediately, she said, adding that she thinks travelers will be "thrilled' about it. "We're so excited that we can make the experience for those individuals traveling throughout our airports in the United States much more hospitable, more efficient,' Noem said, adding that streamlining the process is especially important as the U.S. prepares to host large events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Some travelers subjected to extra screening may still have to remove their shoes, she said, though she didn't specify the conditions. The change, which Bloomberg reported Monday, extends a benefit already available to individuals who pay for TSA PreCheck to ordinary travelers. Noem said TSA is also evaluating other checkpoint requirements, including liquids restrictions and laptop removal rules, though no decisions have been made. TSA's reversal on removing shoes ends a policy that has been for nearly two decades one of the most visible — and criticized — features of the post-9/11 heightened U.S. airport security system. Critics, who've long dismissed the shoe rule as more security theater than actual security, have also faulted the policy for increasing wait times at security checkpoints at American airports. Noem rejected the notion that shoe removal was security theater but said it's generally no longer necessary thanks to other layers of security. The change also puts the U.S. in line with most other global aviation hubs including the European Union, Dubai and Singapore, which typically don't require travelers to take off their shoes when going through airport security. The U.S. requirement to remove footwear was made mandatory in August 2006 — following a failed attempt in 2001 by "shoe bomber' Richard Reid to ignite explosives packed in one of his sneakers on an American Airlines flight. The plans were first reported by Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA officer and the creator of the Gate Access travel newsletter.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Travelers no longer required to take off shoes for security at some US airports
For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers are no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain US airports, Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, announced on Tuesday. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has abandoned the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through US airports, according to media reports. The move puts an end to a security screening mandate put in place almost two decades ago, several years after 'shoe bomber' Richard Reid's failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001. 'We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience,' Noem said in a statement. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that other aspects of TSA's security process would remain unchanged. 'For example, passengers (must) still clear identity verification, Secure Flight vetting, and other processes,' the department said. Travelers were able to skirt extra security requirement if they were part of the TSA PreCheck program, which costs about $80 for five years. The program, implemented in 2013, allows airline passengers to get through the screening process without removing shoes, belts or light jackets. The TSA began in 2001 when George W Bush, the US president at the time, signed legislation for its creation two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks that year. The agency included federal airport screeners that replaced the private companies airlines had used to handle security. Over the years, the TSA has continued to look for ways to enhance its security measures, including testing facial recognition technology and implementing Real ID requirements.
