Travellers no longer have to remove shoes for US airport security checks
The ritual began nearly 20 years ago after ‘shoe bomber’ Richard Reid’s failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami
Travellers racing to catch a flight at US airports are no longer required to remove their shoes during security screenings, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Tuesday.
Noem said the end of the ritual put in place almost 20 years ago was effective nationwide effective immediately. She said a pilot programme showed the Transportation Security Administration had the equipment needed to keep airports and aircraft safe while allowing people to keep their shoes on.
“TSA will no longer require travellers to remove their shoes when they go through security checkpoints,” Noem said.
While shoe removal no longer is standard procedure, some travellers still may be asked to take off their footwear “if we think additional layers of screening are necessary”, she added.
Security screening sans shoes became a requirement in 2006, several years after “shoe bomber” Richard Reid’s failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.
All passengers between the ages of 12 and 75 were required to remove their shoes, which were scanned along with carry-on luggage.
