Passengers at Central Illinois Regional Airport [CIRA] in Bloomington report feeling happy about not having to remove their shoes when passing through security. The Transportation Security Administration [TSA] abolished the shoe removal rule last week, which had been enforced for nearly two decades.
The 9/11 era TSA shoe removal policy was first implemented in 2006 after a British man attempted to hide explosives in his shoe on an American Airlines flight in Dec. 2001.
The policy change was announced by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said technology has now come far enough that the rule is not necessary.
Marketing and communications manager of CIRA, Melissa Beaver, said the airport uses newly advanced full-body scanning technology in place of shoe removal.
“It’s a change in technology and other abilities of screening,” Beaver said.
Beaver said the advancement of full-body scans along with the REAL ID Act—which requires passengers to present either a REAL-ID compliant driver’s license/ID card or a passport before boarding a flight—has allowed CIRA to comfortably allow passengers to keep their shoes on without worry.
The airport has been abiding by the Real ID Act since it was passed in May.
“I think, by and large, the majority of people will experience a quicker pass through the security checkpoint. I think a lot of people have complained in the past years and even up until now [about] having to take their shoes off for various reasons,” Beaver said.
Co-owner and partner of Capitol City Speakers Bureau and CIRA passenger Katheryne Rehberg said she feels safe leaving her shoes on. But she didn’t mind the TSA shoe removal policy.
“I feel like the research was done to say that that was a safe thing for us as U.S. citizens, so I was very compliant and happy to do what we needed to do,” Rehberg said.
“I know technology has come a long way since the [TSA policy] came out—I think it’s been about two decades now—so I do feel pretty safe about it,” Rehberg continued.
Rehberg said she feels allowing passengers to keep their shoes on is more sanitary.
TSA PreCheck
Rehberg said she was previously enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program, which allows select passengers with a membership to receive quicker screening when traveling.
One of the perks of the fee-based program was not having to remove shoes when passing through airport security.
“It was really handy; you [bring] in all of your documentation, they fingerprint you so it feels like they do their homework [and] they know their background check and now we can enter through a camera, which is really nice,” Rehberg said.
Bloomington-Normal resident Herb Geiger said he is also enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program, but that the newly-abolished shoe removal policy might make it obsolete.
“That was one of the benefits that you got through it" he said, "so now it kind of competes with the fact that you’re paying for the service, but someone else maybe isn’t and they’re getting the same benefit. Again, I think the overarching goal is to get through the airport [and] get to your destination safely."
Noem said Homeland Security is reviewing other policies, such as removing coats and belts, or taking laptops and liquids out of baggage when passing through TSA checkpoints. Those who are not enrolled in TSA PreCheck will still have to abide by those policies for now.
Geiger said the TSA PreCheck program is good for new parents, especially, because it helps to get children through the lines quicker.
After some initial hesitation, Bloomington-Normal resident and CIRA passenger Vicki Schultz said she was able to look forward to traveling by not having to remove her shoes at the airport’s security checkpoint.
“I did have thoughts that maybe this isn’t a good thing for a second, but then I was really happy that I could just get through really easy and leave my shoes on, so I was excited about that,” Schultz said.
Schultz said she now feels there isn’t any disadvantage with the new policy.
“It’s a great day,” Schultz said.
