Airline Passengers in the U.S. May Never Have to Take Their Shoes Off Again In April, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asked his X followers what changes they'd like to see at the airport.

By Erin Davis

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is set to announce new changes to boarding procedures that will remove an almost 20-year precedent.

The Wall Street Journal reports that passengers will soon be able to keep their shoes on while passing through checkpoints.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the "big news" on X to a CBS News reporter.

Currently, airline passengers older than 75 or under 12, or those with the TSA's popular PreCheck program, don't have to remove their shoes. The protocol began more than two decades ago after Richard Reid was caught with explosives hidden inside his shoes while flying from Paris to Miami. The incident, which occurred in December 2001, was just two months after 9/11, and that led to heightened security measures around the world, according to the FBI. Reid pleaded guilty to eight terrorism-related charges and is serving a life sentence in a federal prison.

Related: 'Juice Jacking': TSA Warns Air Travelers to Protect Themselves from This Growing Security Scam

CBS reports that the changes will take place in phases, and initial airports include Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Cincinnati (CVG), Baltimore (BWI), Portland (PDX), and Philadelphia (PHL). The outlet also noted that it had reporters at both Los Angeles Airport (LAX) and LaGuardia (LGA) on Monday, and shoes were allowed to stay on for passengers there.

In a statement, the TSA told the WSJ that the agency is always looking for "new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture."

In April, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asked his X followers what changes they'd like to see, and the shoe removal issue was a top response due to it inevitably leading to slow security lines.

"My team will go through all of these comments [and] put together a list of best ideas," he wrote at the time.

Erin Davis

BIZ Experiences Staff

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