Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem introduced Tuesday that vacationers will not be required to take away their sneakers when going by means of Transportation Safety Administration safety checkpoints in any respect airports throughout the U.S., ending the almost two-decade mandate by the company.
Noem stated the brand new coverage goes into impact in any respect airports throughout the nation.
Although the gear put in at every airport would possibly differ, Noem assured that DHS evaluated the gear at every airport and is “totally assured” that there’s sufficient safety as people undergo the screening course of with their sneakers on.
“There will likely be people at occasions that will likely be requested to take away their sneakers, if we predict there may be extra layers of screening that’s vital which will nonetheless occur to a person,” Noem stated at a information convention at Reagan Nationwide Airport Tuesday afternoon. “However we’re excited with the truth that now we have the know-how now that now we have the multi layers of screening in place that we have inbuilt over the latest a number of years, they provide us the power to permit our vacationers to maintain their sneakers on.”
A traveler removes his sneakers earlier than going by means of a safety examine level at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, February, 29, 2012. REUTERS/Andrew Burton/File Photograph
Andrew Burton/Reuters
Noem stated the company was in a position to terminate the coverage as a result of “layered safety” in place by the TSA. These layers embrace extra officers at safety checkpoints, new scanners and know-how and the lately enforced REAL ID requirement.
“Passengers will nonetheless go by means of a number of layers of screening. They will additionally undergo identification verification. And, actually, TSA has lately skilled some improbable success with implementing REAL ID as, you already know, REAL ID was put into statute over 20 years in the past and we lately put that into place.”
These touring with no REAL ID won’t be required to take off their sneakers, however people could possibly be flagged for different causes that may require them to undergo extra safety screening.
Regardless of the brand new coverage, Noem stated that TSA PreCheck nonetheless holds worth for vacationers because it permits them to bypass extra safety screening measures.
“I consider PreCheck will nonetheless be one thing that many vacationers will need to make the most of, as a result of once they have TSA PreCheck, they will not should take off their belt or their coat or take away issues out of their bag that resembling laptops or compliant liquids.”
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem speaks throughout a information convention the place she introduced that the majority airline passengers will not should take away their sneakers at safety checkpoints, July 8, 2025, at Reagan Nationwide Airport in Washington, D.C.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Wanting forward, Noem stated the company is working to streamline the method and over the following six to 9 months they hope to introduce a safety checkpoint pilot program at a number of airports that may permit people to undergo the screening course of with out interacting with an officer, stroll by means of machines or take away any units like laptops from their baggage. She additionally added that sure airports at present have household lane safety factors which permits households to get by means of the screening collectively individually from others, making it simpler for these touring with infants and kids.
Following Noem’s announcement, Airways for America, an airline commerce group which represents the main air carriers within the U.S., launched an announcement supporting the DHS effort.
“We applaud Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem for her management and imaginative and prescient to reexamine the 20-year-old shoe screening requirement,” stated Nicholas E. Calio, president and CEO of the group. “This coverage change will go a good distance in facilitating easy, seamless and safe journey for passengers and is welcome information to the thousands and thousands of people that fly day by day.”
