U.S. TSA to end shoe removal policy at some airports

After almost 20 years, travellers in U.S. airports will no longer be required to remove their shoes during security screenings, according to an update shared by the country's Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The agency will be phasing out the security requirement, according to reports that were shared by mainstream media outlets on Monday (July 7).

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also appeared to confirm the change, calling it "big news" from the Department of Homeland Security in a post on X early Tuesday (July 8).

A gradual roll out 

According to CBS News, the change is being rolled out gradually, with the first airports to end the shoe removal requirement including Baltimore/Washington International, Fort Lauderdale International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Portland International, Philadelphia International, and North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad International.

However, reports out of Los Angeles International Airport and New York City's LaGuardia Airport on Monday night also indicate that passengers, there, didn't have to take off their shoes either.

Passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck – a U.S.-based program that allows pre-approved travellers to experience expedited security screening at participating U.S. airports – were already exempt from removing their shoes.

This latest shift follows reports that TSA has allowed the shoe removal rule to lapse for passengers in standard screening lines.

In a statement to news outlets on Monday, TSA said the agency and the Department of Homeland Security "are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture."

TSA officially introduced the shoe removal rule nationwide in 2006, several years after British national Richard Reid—later known as the "shoe bomber"—tried to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001 using explosives hidden in his shoes.

Reid’s attempt was unsuccessful, as he was subdued by passengers, and the plane was safely diverted to Boston.

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