Some Florida travelers are now breezing through airport security without the familiar hassle of removing their shoes, as Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has become one of the first in the country to phase out the long-standing TSA footwear requirement.
Reports are that several U.S. airports, including Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore/Washington International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Portland (Oregon), Philadelphia, and Piedmont Triad in North Carolina, have quietly dropped the rule for standard TSA screenings.
The Transportation Security Administration confirmed Monday that the policy change is part of a phased rollout, signaling a potential shift in how millions of Americans experience airport security.
Reports state that passengers at Los Angeles International and New York City’s LaGuardia airports also kept their shoes on while passing through security checkpoints Monday night, though those airports were not included in the initial list provided by sources.
Travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck have long been exempt from shoe removal, but the latest change applies to passengers using standard security lanes — a departure from rules in place since 2006.
The original no-shoes policy was enacted in response to the 2001 attempted bombing of an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami by Richard Reid, now known as the “shoe bomber.” After that incident, airlines and TSA began requesting — and later requiring — passengers to remove their shoes during screenings.
In a statement to CBS News, TSA said it and the Department of Homeland Security are “always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture.”
It remains unclear when or if the change will be implemented nationwide, but for now, Florida travelers at Fort Lauderdale are getting an early taste of a more relaxed security experience.
