TSA Says ‘Keep your Shoes on’ 

It’s been a hallmark of travel for years now. You get to the checkpoint, empty your pockets, take off your shoes and prepare to be scrutinized by the Transportation Safety Administration. 

Well part of that process is about to change. On July 8, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) announced that passengers at domestic airports — including Albany International Airport — will no longer have to take off their shoes when going through checkpoints. 

In a press release, the US Secretary of Homeland Security said the change was designed to make passengers’ lives easier when traveling. 

“Ending the ‘Shoes-Off’ policy is the latest effort DHS is implementing to modernize and enhance traveler experience across our nation’s airports,” said Secretary Noem. “We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.” 

This isn’t the first time this measure has been relaxed. Starting in December 2013, passengers could enroll in ‘TSA Pre-Check’ which allowed passengers to forego some of the security screenings, such as having to take off their shoes, after they paid a fee, got fingerprinted and passed a background check, according to TSA’. 

TSA has required passengers to remove their shoes since 2006. The policy was made due to an incident that occurred about three months after 9/11. On December 22, 2001, a passenger on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami attempted to detonate an explosive device located in the bottom of his shoes, according to the FBI. 

The attempt was unsuccessful as the would-be bomber couldn’t light the fuse on the explosive and was subsequently restrained by passengers and crew. Five years later, TSA required passengers to remove their shoes and have them x-rayed. 

The change is one of several impacting travelers this summer. In May, passengers had to obtain a ‘Real ID’ in order to travel on all domestic flights. 

Earlier this month, TSA unveiled several policy changes designed to make the lives of military passengers easier. Earlier this month, TSA announced that Gold Star Families would get their fee waved when applying for TSA Precheck. In addition, service members and their spouses would receive a $25 discount on the program as well as having their dependents fall under the program when booked on the same reservation.