Ella Scott
Jetting off on holiday from airports across the United States is about to become so much easier as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reportedly confirms its phasing out of a 20-year-old policy.
Last week, an unexpected travel memo hit TSA officers’ desks, announcing a shake-up in the way airport security operates.
Now, if you’re a frequent flyer, you’ll already be familiar with some common TSA airport security practices that have been in place for years.
These include removing personal electronic items from your carry-on bags for screening, complying with the 3-1-1 liquids rule, and, in some cases, submitting to pat-down procedures as part of random security measures.
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However, ABC News reports that TSA officers working in airport security will no longer require passengers going through the general security line at many major airports across the country to remove their shoes.
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The first airports where the no-shoes requirement is expiring on Sunday, July 13 include: Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Portland International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, CBS News reported.
The publication also states that correspondents at Los Angeles International Airport and New York City's LaGuardia Airport flying on Monday (July 7) were also made aware that they and other passengers didn't have to take off their shoes.
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The memo stipulates that this policy - introduced in 2006 after British terrorist Richard Reid packed explosives into his shoes in the hopes of blowing up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in 2001 - will eventually be phased out in all US airports.
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Previously, only passengers in the TSA PreCheck line were able to keep their shoes on in most cases.
To have a PreCheck, travelers had to submit a five-minute application and go through a clearance process with the TSA, as per the publication.
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The agency claims that most applications submitted ahead of travel are processed within a five-day window.
On July 4, Ex-TSA agent Caleb Harmon-Marshall claimed the ending of the no-shoe rule was ‘one of the biggest changes to TSA screening in over a decade.’
“[It] could dramatically reshape the airport experience as we know it,” he claimed in a Substack post.
In a statement to The US Sun, a spokesperson for the TSA said: “TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture.
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“Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”