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TSA to end shoe removal policy at some airport security checkpoints, government source says

The Transportation Safety Administration said it had explored "new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience."

An air traveler places his shoes in a bin before passing through a TSA checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport in 2014. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images/FILE

An air traveler places his shoes in a bin before passing through a TSA checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport in 2014. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images/FILE

It’s now OK to keep your shoes on at some airports.

The Transportation Safety Administration will allow passengers at selected airports to keep their footwear on as they go through security checkpoints, a senior government official tells NBC News.

People in screening lanes will have to keep their shoes on at selected airports, but the source said the relaxation of the rules could expand nationwide in the near future.

The TSA has yet to announce the move formally, but stated in a Monday press release that it is "exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture."

Shoe removal has been part of the airport experience since 2006, when the TSA instituted the requirement, citing intelligence indicating a "continuing threat" of explosives.

The rule came after Richard Reid tried — and failed — to ignite his homemade shoe explosives on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami on Dec. 22, 2001.

Reid’s plan was disrupted when he struggled to light a fuse attached to his shoes, which contained roughly 10 ounces of explosive material, according to the FBI.

He was subdued by passengers and crew members and taken into custody when the flight diverted to Logan International Airport in Boston.

 

Reid pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and is serving a life sentence at a "Supermax" prison in Colorado.

After the bombing attempt, the shoe removal rule was implemented, then relaxed, then resurrected.

The requirement has apparently remained annoying enough that the TSA released an advertisement in October for its fee-based PreCheck service, which featured four people endorsing their membership for a single reason: they didn’t have to take their shoes off at the airport.

"It’s my favorite thing," one of them said.

Author: Jay Blackman and Tim Stelloh

Source: NBC News

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