Major Change May Be Coming To Airport Security In MI

MICHIGAN — Passengers flying out of Detroit Metro Airport and other U.S. airports may no longer have to take off their shoes during security screenings, according to news reports.

The Transportation Security Administration has not officially confirmed the change, but announced it in an internal memo, according to the blog Gate Access, the first to report the shoe policy will be implemented nationwide.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt seemed to confirm that, saying in a post on X early Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security had “big news.”

It appears the agency is taking a phased-in approach to the change, one of the most significant changes in the TSA screening process in more than a decade. It was implemented Monday at some airports, including Alabama’s Montgomery Regional Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Portland International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, CBS News reported.

“TSA officers may still request footwear removal in specific situations where additional screening is warranted,” the Montgomery Regional Airport said in a news release. “Footwear screening remains one part of a layered security approach, which also includes identity verification, Secure Flight vetting, and advanced scanning technologies.”

The policy change, part of the TSA’s broader effort to modernize security screening and improve passenger convenience while maintaining strong security standards, could be implemented nationwide in the near future, a senior government official told NBC News.

TSA and DHS “are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture,” TSA Public Affairs said in a statement.

“Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels,” the statement said.

The TSA PreCheck option already speeds passengers through an expedited security screening process that allows them to leave their shoes on, according to the TSA website.

As things stand now, passengers going through standard security screening must still remove their belts, jackets, shoes, laptops and liquids, and place them on an X-ray belt for screening.

The rule requiring passengers to take off their shoes was implemented in 2006, five years after Richard Reid, a passenger aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, tried to detonate homemade bombs in his shoes. As he struggled to light the fuse, Reid was restrained by crew members and passengers and later arrested, according to the FBI.