TSA's shoe removal rule gets the boot

Passengers no longer need to take off their footwear while going through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints — effective immediately, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said on Tuesday. The big picture: This is the first time in 19 years that general passengers can skip the TSA's footwear removal policy.Driving the news: "Our security technology has changed dramatically. It's evolved. TSA has changed," Noem said during a briefing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington."We have a multilayered, whole-of-government approach now to security and to the environment that people anticipate and experience when they come into an airport that has been honed and it's been hardened."Noem said streamlining the security process was particularly needed for the expected increase of domestic travelers and international visitors for the World Cup championships and the 2028 Olympics. Zoom out: Airport wait times average about 27 minutes, according to a 2024 study. Eliminating the policy could shave some time off the security process. Passengers willing to pay about $78 every five years for TSA PreCheck have been able to keep their shoes on since 2013, and have an average wait time of less than 10 minutes. What they're saying: A spokesperson told Axios on Tuesday that "TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture."White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to confirm the move in a post on X, writing, "Big news from @DHSgov," in response to a post reporting the rule change. Zoom in: The policy change has been expected for some time, with select airports rolling out shoe-scanning technology in previous years.Travel newsletter Gate Access first reported the news and said the new rule would not apply to passengers without a REAL ID. However, Noem said, it is "not going to be specifically required" that non-Real ID holders remove their shoes.Flashback: Three months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, passenger Richard Reid attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his sneakers on an American Airlines flight. Five years later in 2006, TSA officials implemented the shoes-off policy, citing "a continuing threat."Reid's fellow passengers thwarted his plan, and the plane landed safely in Boston.Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show that TSA stands for Transportation Security Administration (not Transportation Safety Administration), that TSA's shoes-off policy was implemented in 2006 (not 2001), that it's the first time in 19 years (not over 20) that general passengers can skip removing their shoes, and that those with TSA PreCheck were able to keep their shoes on since 2013 (not 2006).