- DHS ends ‘shoes from’ politics after almost two decades.
- Says changes will streamline security and reduce waiting times.
- The rule was introduced in 2006 after attempted shoe bombing.
Passengers traveling through US airports no longer need to remove their shoes under security screenings before Flight, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Tuesday.
The policy considered ‘humiliation’ by many was in place for the past twenty years when even the dignitaries witnessed taking off their shoes and going barefoot for safety ready.
US native security secretary Kristi Noem has announced that passengers can keep their shoes on while passing through safety screening on TSA control points.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the new policy will increase the hospitality of travelers and streamline TSA safety control process, leading to lower waiting times.
The Transport Safety Administration had introduced this policy in August 2006 after an alleged terrorist (Abdel Rahim) Richard Reid, tried to blow up a passenger aircraft by using matches to ignite explosive hidden in his basketball shoes.
The so-called ‘shoe bomber’ flew to Miami from Paris when a flight noted he was trying to burn explosive-charged shoes. Reid was taken over and the flight was redirected to Boston, where this Muslim conversion was arrested and pleaded guilty to terror -related charges.
“Completion of the” Shoe-off “policy is the latest effort that DHS implements to modernize and improve the traveling experience in our country’s airports,” said secretary Noem.
According to the US Ministry of Transport, more than a billion passengers traveled through US airports by 2023. And the number increased further by 2024.
We expect this change to drastically reduce the passenger’s waiting times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more comfortable and efficient passenger experience. As always, security remains our highest priority. Thanks to our groundbreaking technological advances and multi -layer security method, we are convinced travel, ”noted Secretary Noem.
Other aspects of TSA’s layered security method still apply during the TSA checkpoint process. E.g. Passengers still need to clear identity verification, safe flight and other processes.
The end of the “shoe-off” policy is the latest in a number of changes that DHS has implemented since the Trump administration entered the office.
In May, TSA began implementing Real ID at airport checkpoints that have seen a 94% compliance rate that has led to a more effective security process.
