Travelers will be pleased to hear that the TSA is making changes to airport security procedures that can save travelers time and hassle.
You know the stress that floods your body when you step up to the conveyor belt at an airport security line rushing to take off your shoes, remove your electronics from your carry-on bags, and separate your liquids. Well some of that stress could dissipate with new security policy changes from TSA.
The Transportation Security Administration has recently decided to allow travelers to keep their shoes on while passing through airport security. “Ending the ‘Shoes-Off’ policy is the latest effort DHS is implementing to modernize and enhance traveler experience across our nation’s airports,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a TSA release. “We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience. As always, security remains our top priority.
The ‘Shoes-Off’ rule was a TSA policy for more than two decades after being implemented December of 2001. Noem claims the change is thanks to “cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach.” The recent release also indicated that the change is just the latest in a series of changes the DHS will implement this year.
Noem also told The Hill, that the next big change for airport security could be the required size of liquids. “That may be the next big announcement is what size your liquids need to be,” she said.
The TSA’s current policies around liquids follow the 3-1-1 rule which requires liquids in travelers’ carry-on luggage to be 3.4 ounces or less and all stored in an individual quart-sized plastic bag. This rule, established in 2006, has been a thorn in the side of travelers for almost two decades.
The U.S. Travel Association has commended TSA on its shoe rule changes and encouraged a potential change in liquid requirements in hopes that easing travelers’ airport security experiences will promote tourism.
“These are exactly the kinds of changes that signal real progress toward a smarter, more traveler-friendly screening experience that doesn’t compromise security,” they said in a statement.
TSA has in recent years sought to streamline airport processes, introducing new technologies like facial recognition that sweeps travelers quickly through border security. “Hopefully the future of an airport, where I’m looking to go, is that you walk in the door with your carry-on suitcase, you walk through a scanner and go right to your flight,” Noem said. “It takes you one minute.”
Meanwhile airport security lines and airline malfunctions continue to go viral as summer travel attracts millions of tourists to airports.
