The US government has ended two-decade-old policy of mandatory shoes removal at U.S. airports.
The policy was introduced in 2001 after British terrorist Richard Reid attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes on a flight.
Although passengers stopped him before he could carry out the attack, the incident has since made it mandatory for passengers to remove their shoes at security checkpoints at airports across the United States.
In a statement released this week, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Christine Lam said the decision was based on modern security technology. “We are confident that we can provide a better experience for passengers while maintaining the same level of security,” she said.
Officials said new scanning equipment and multi-layered security protocols have made it possible to identify threats without removing shoes.
However, ID, flight verification, separate screening of electronics and liquid restrictions will remain in place.
