For the past several days, travelers at airports like Laguardia and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International have reported a big surprise at airport security checkpoints: They have been allowed to keep their shoes on.
A dreaded transport safety administration rule that had been in place since 2006 seemed to be quiet to end with a little fanfare and no official message from the agency – so far.
Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary, confirmed the nationwide political change during a news conference in Ronald Reagan National Airport, just outside Washington, Tuesday afternoon.
“We are so pleased that we can make the experience of the people traveling through our airports in the United States much more hospitable, more effective for them, more timely, and that they can come to their destinations and spend much more time with their loved ones,” Noem said.
Progress in how TSA screens -passengers made the change possible, Noem said, describing a “layered” approach that includes new technology, improved equipment, additional TSA officers and the recent enforcement of real ID requirements.
“We’ve gone back and looked at our security processes, looked at the effectiveness of everything we do,” Noem said. “All of this has been evaluated to see what is effective, what should remain in place and what needs to be removed to streamline the process.”
The change comes when air travel in the United States. TSA said it screened more than 900 million people last year, an increase of 5 percent over 2023. This summer, TSA security checks have been busy than ever. On July 7, more than three million travelers passed through airports and set a record for the most screened in a single day.
Although the shoe-on-policy may introduce faster standard security lines, perhaps at the level of accelerated screening lines that have TSA Precheck still comes with perks, said Bobby Laurie, a previous flight and co-host for the TV travel show “The Jet Set.” Precheck, a trusted traveler program for low risk passengers, includes “an additional background check that gives you more privileges than just leaving your shoes on,” Mr. Laurie.
The program has steadily grown since its inception in 2013. Last summer, TSA announced that it had more than 20 million members. Ms. Noem said Tuesday that she thought Precheck would remain useful for travelers.
Precheck travelers can wear belts and light jackets, and they are also allowed to leave personal electronics and liquids in their carrying bags.
Security experts said the last few years have experienced significant progress in screening technology.
Keith Jeffries, a vice president of the K2 Security Screening Group, which specializes at airports, said the industry had made “enormous progress.” Among those he has erected: Biometric systems that verify identity and are now used in luggage check and boarding, and hugely improved body and luggage scanners.
But it’s not just a technology that has activated Shoes-on Security, he emphasized.
“It is a combination of the overall security system that is improved – what is Intel that tells the people; why should we make this change?” said Mr. Jeffries, formerly TSA -Federal Security Director at Los Angeles International Airport.
Noem referred to new TSA screening developments in the near future, including a pilot program at selected airports that would allow travelers to pass through control points without interacting with officers.
“I think in the next six to nine months, you will look across the country, pilot courts and security checkpoints that will give us even more progress and make this security process much more streamlined for the traveler,” Noem said.
What about the future of the widely abhorred policy that limits liquids in transport? “Each rule is evaluated,” she said.
Nia decaille contributed with reporting.
Follow the New York Times travel on Instagram and Sign up for our travel shipping newsletter To get expert tips to travel smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Do you dream a future escape or just armchair traveling? Check ours 52 places to go in 2025.
