TSA to Allow Travelers to Keep Their Shoes On During Screening

Security Officer Instructs Passengers About TSA Screening Procedures for Boarding Plane Flight — Source: EvgeniyShkolenko / Getty

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will soon be letting travelers keep their shoes on as they go through the screening process at the airport.

While TSA has not officially announced the change, the senior government official said the move could roll out nationwide in the near future.

A spokesperson for the TSA said in a July 7 statement to NBC News 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.”

Passengers have been required to remove their shoes while going through airport security since 2006 to screen for explosives, according to the TSA.

The rule was implemented after Richard Reid attempted to detonate homemade bombs in his shoes on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in 2001, just a few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Reid pleaded guilty to eight terrorism-related counts in October 2002 and was sentenced to life in prison.

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