Latest news with #shoesoff
Globe and Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Canada will ‘align' with new rules after TSA drops shoes-off policy for airport screening
Ottawa says it will work to align its flight security regulations with those in the U.S. after Washington dropped a rule that required passengers to remove their shoes during security screenings. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that passengers at American airports no longer need to remove their shoes because officials have found other ways to keep travellers safe. Canada does not require passengers flying domestically or to non-U.S. destinations to take off their shoes for screening, unless a security officer decides it's necessary. But those flying to the U.S. through the pre-clearance sections of Canadian airports have been required to remove their shoes. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration introduced the no-shoes rule roughly five years after Richard Reid, who became infamous as the 'shoe bomber,' tried to trigger explosives hidden in his shoes on a Paris to Miami flight in 2001. Transport Canada says in a statement it 'will work with the Transportation Security Administration to ensure requirements are aligned.'
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Canada to ‘align' with U.S. airport screening rules as TSA drops shoes-off policy
A traveller walks to security screening at the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Sept. 18, 2024. (Ethan Cairns / The Canadian Press) OTTAWA — Ottawa says it will work to align its flight security regulations with those in the U.S. after Washington dropped a rule that required passengers to remove their shoes during security screenings. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that passengers at American airports no longer need to remove their shoes because officials have found other ways to keep travellers safe. Canada does not require passengers flying domestically or to non-U.S. destinations to take off their shoes for screening, unless a security officer decides it's necessary. But those flying to the U.S. through the pre-clearance sections of Canadian airports have been required to remove their shoes. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration introduced the no-shoes rule roughly five years after Richard Reid, who became infamous as the 'shoe bomber,' tried to trigger explosives hidden in his shoes on a Paris to Miami flight in 2001. Transport Canada says in a statement it 'will work with the Transportation Security Administration to ensure requirements are aligned.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
SBS Australia
09-07-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
US scraps shoe removal requirement at airport screenings, 20 years on
Passengers at United States airports will no longer have to remove their shoes to pass through security, 20 years after the requirement was introduced. Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem announced the change to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules at a news conference at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. Passengers at US airports have been required to take off shoes during screenings since 2006, five years after the arrest of "Shoe Bomber" Richard Reid, who had explosives hidden in his footwear onboard. Reid, a member of Al-Qaeda, was overpowered by other passengers as he tried to light a fuse on his shoes on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001. Reid pleaded guilty to terrorism and other charges and is serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Colorado. 'Security technology has changed dramatically' "In those 20 years since that policy was put in place, our security technology has changed dramatically. It's evolved. TSA has changed. We have a multi-layered, whole-of-government approach now to security," Noem said. "We are very confident that we can continue to provide hospitality to folks and for American travellers and for those visiting our country, while maintaining the same standard of security for passengers and for our homeland," she added. Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said security technology had "evolved" over the past two decades. Source: AAP / AP / Mark Schiefelbein The TSA said in a statement on the shoe policy change that other security measures will remain in place. "Other aspects of TSA's layered security approach will still apply during the TSA checkpoint process. For example, passengers subject must still clear identity verification, Secure Flight vetting, and other processes," it said. Past attacks — both successful and thwarted — have led to a raft of new airport security measures in recent decades, especially following the September 11 attacks in 2011, in which hijackers flew passenger jets into the Twin Towers in New York as well as the Pentagon. In 2006, British authorities announced they had foiled a terror plot that aimed to blow up several planes in mid-air simultaneously with liquid explosives. Since then, tough restrictions have applied to liquids and gels, such as toothpaste. And electronics have also come in for additional screening in a bid to head off attacks, with passengers required to remove laptops from bags, for instance.
CBS News
08-07-2025
- CBS News
Can I keep my shoes on at airports? Here's what to know about TSA rule change.
The Transportation Security Administration's shoe rule expired on Monday, relieving fliers of the requirement to remove their footwear while passing through security before boarding a plane. Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that, starting Tuesday, all passengers traveling through domestic airports can keep their shoes on while moving through TSA checkpoints. "TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoints," Noem said, adding that she expects travelers to be "very excited" at the policy change. Previously, only travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck could keep their shoes on. The TSA on Monday did not issue a statement confirming the end of the policy, but sources familiar with the matter on Monday confirmed the change to CBS News. Here's what to know about the status of the TSA's updated shoe policy. What is the "shoes-off" rule? The TSA screening policy, known informally as the "shoes-off rule," was instituted in 2006 after British terrorist Richard Reid unsuccessfully tried to detonate homemade bombs hidden in his shoes during a December 2001 flight from Paris to Miami. The shoes he wore on the flight contained 10 ounces of explosive material, according to an FBI account of the incident. The shoe-removal policy went into effect in August 2006. "Based on intelligence pointing to a continuing threat, TSA requires passengers to remove shoes to screen for explosives," the TSA states on a policy timeline on its website. Under the policy, the TSA required passengers in standard screening lines to remove and place their shoes on X-ray belts, along with laptops, liquids, belts and outerwear. Passengers with TSA PreCheck benefits were exempt from the shoe removal requirement. Do I still have to take my shoes off? Not as long as TSA screeners are following the revised policy. As of Tuesday, the agency will no longer require passengers who move through TSA checkpoints to remove their shoes. That said, TSA officers may still flag some travelers for additional screening measures. "Once in a while, someone will have to remove their shoes if they need additional layers of screening," Noem said Tuesday. On Monday, before the rule change was announced, some airports across the U.S. had already started phasing out the security measure and begun allowing fliers to move through security with their shoes on, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA worker who now runs Gate Access, a site about passenger rights, was the first to report on the policy shift, calling it "one of the biggest changes to TSA screening in over a decade." "It marks a huge shift in what the average traveler is used to going through TSA," he said. The revised shoes-on policy was already in effect at seven U.S. airports on Monday, according to CBS News sources. The first airports to ditch the security measure include Baltimore/Washington International Airport; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; Fort Lauderdale International Airport; Philadelphia International Airport; Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina; and Portland International Airport. Some passengers at New York's LaGuardia Airport also reported being allowed to keep their shoes on Monday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday re-posted a CBS News report on the rule change on social media, describing it as "Big news from @DHSgov!" . Will this mean shorter security lines? Harmon-Marshall of Gate Access told CBS MoneyWatch that he expects the policy change to result in shorter airport screening lines and an expedited security process for all passengers. In come cases, TSA officers could still ask passengers to remove their footwear. "They still have that discretion," he said. For passengers, Harmon-Marshall expects screening time to "drop significantly." "Allowing passengers to keep their shoes on in the standard line will make going through TSA a breeze," he predicted. The revamped shoe policy could also have implications for TSA PreCheck, which costs around $80 for five years, Harmon added. "TSA has to figure out what the value proposition of PreCheck is," he said. "Allowing passengers to access screening with their shoes on diminishes its value, which leads me to believe there is another shakeup coming with TSA PreCheck." Noem on Tuesday said PreCheck status still offers advantages to pass holders because they're not required to take off their belts or remove liquids and electronics from their bags, unlike other passengers. "I believe PreCheck will still be something many travelers will want to utilize," she said. She added that DHS will continue to evaluate all TSA screening procedures for efficiency. Homeland Security also plans to test new security lanes at TSA checkpoints over the next six to nine months that allow travelers to move through security even more quickly. and contributed to this report.
CNN
08-07-2025
- CNN
Reports: TSA no longer to requires all passengers to take shoes off at airport security checkpoints
After nearly two decades, passengers going through airport security in the United States may not have to take their shoes off. The Transportation Security Administration is dropping the security requirement, The New York Times reported, citing a source familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The White House Press Secretary responded to the reports on X, calling it 'big news' from the Department of Homeland Security. An internal memo announcing the change, which was first reported by the blog Gate Access, was not officially confirmed by the administration. 'TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture,' TSA public affairs said in a statement. 'Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.' Passengers flying out of Hancock Airport in Syracuse, New York, did not have to take off shoes Monday, CNN affiliate WSTM reported. However, on Tuesday morning at Chicago O'Hare, CNN affiliate WLS saw passengers still being asked to remove footwear. In December 2001, Richard Reid, who became known as the 'shoe bomber,' tried to use matches to ignite explosives hidden in his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami. The requirement for passengers to take their shoes off at TSA security checkpoints came nearly five years later due to 'intelligence pointing to a continuing threat,' an official TSA history notes, following a foiled August 2006 terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives onboard transatlantic flights. The TSA introduced its 3-1-1 liquids rule for carry-on luggage in response. Participants in the Trusted traveler program TSA PreCheck have long been able to avoid removing shoes, however they must submit to a background check and pay a fee.
