In a major shift to airport security protocol, U.S. passengers will no longer be required to remove their shoes during standard TSA screenings, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday.
The policy change takes effect immediately at airports nationwide. Speaking at a press conference from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Noem highlighted the evolution of airport security in recent years.
“Our security technology has changed dramatically. It’s evolved. TSA has changed,” she said. “We now have a multilayered, whole-of-government approach to airport security—refined, reinforced, and built to meet today’s threats without sacrificing the passenger experience.”