Report: TSA Dropping Shoe Removal Requirement at Airport Security
by Daniel McCarthy
Photo: David Tran Photo / Shutterstock.com
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reportedly ditching the dreaded shoe-removal rule at airport security, according to a new report in The New York Times and the travel newsletter Gate Access. (TMR has reached out to the TSA for confirmation.)
The report suggests that the requirement is already being rolled back, with some airports now allowing all travelers to keep their shoes on through security. (PreCheck passengers had enjoyed the perk at most U.S. airports already.) The report also says that an official confirmation is coming at some point soon, and that the TSA has communicated the change to its officers.
When and if the change does happen, it will mark the end of a nearly two-decade-long requirement for travelers, who have been subject to the shoe rule since 2006. The rule was put in place after Richard Reid, a British terrorist, attempted to detonate his shoes during an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001.
Reid tried to detonate his shoes, but struggled to light the fuse and crew members and passengers noticed and restrained him. The plane was diverted to Boston’s Logan International Airport and Massachusetts State Police officers took Reid into custody. He was sentenced him to life in federal prison in 2002. His shoes are now part of the FBI’s artifact collection.
While it took five years from the incident for the TSA to put the requirement in place, it has lasted ever since and has slowed down airport security processes nationwide. The shoe requirement, along with the requirement to take electronic devices like laptops, tablets, and gaming consoles out of bags, significantly slows down the flow of passengers at security checkpoints.
According to the TSA, some of the busiest airports such as New York’s JFK International (JFK), Miami International (MIA), or San Francisco International (SFO) can see standard security wait times averaging 20-30 minutes or more during peak periods. Those using PreCheck see significantly lower waits.
