PHOENIX — You'll likely notice a big change the next time you check in for a flight at Phoenix Sky Harbor - or any other airport around the country.
According to two sources who spoke with ABC News, TSA is dropping the requirement for passengers to remove their shoes during airport screenings, even if you don't have PreCheck.
The requirement was initially mandated after a 2001 incident where the FBI says Richard Reid hid explosives inside his shoes and boarded a flight from Paris to Miami. While in the air, investigators say the so-called "shoe bomber" tried to detonate the explosives, but was restrained by crewmembers and passengers who prevented him from carrying out the attack.
In 2006, the Department of Homeland Security moved to require passengers to remove their shoes, five years after the "shoe bomber" incident.
ABC15's Nick Ciletti went to Terminal 4 at Sky Harbor to listen to travelers and see what they make of the relaxed requirements.
Most people we spoke to were very happy to hear the announcement, with very few safety concerns, although some passengers worried about the manner in which TSA was rolling out the change; the agency seemed to quietly roll out the changes over the weekend without much fanfare.
In a statement obtained by ABC15 on Tuesday, TSA officials said:
“TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture. Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”
"I like it! It was easy and fast," explains Mariela Downing, a Phoenix mom of two. "When you travel with a little one, sometimes it's a little busy with shoes...and we travel a lot!"
We also met Denise Madeline, a TSA PreCheck passenger who hadn't heard of the changes until ABC15 spoke to her.
"We have a system and it works!" she explained. She was waiting outside the TSA Checkpoint area, as she and her husband were about to board a flight for Oregon.
Now that Denise has it down to a science, she's glad other passengers will be able to keep their shoes on and move through security as smoothly as she has been as a TSA PreCheck flier.
"I think it's great! Who wants to be walking around on dirty floors? I think we are past all that, and I'm happy about it."
Even though some have questioned whether the reduced security measures would be beneficial, Denise explained she did not have safety concerns.
"I think the TSA is spot-on," she explains. "And I think they're making up for any issues that come up, and I think they are more in-tune and aware of what's going on. I feel very safe at this airport."
Her husband, Gary, also agreed that the rule needed to be lifted, but cautioned that travelers would need time to adjust.
"You can't just change things on people without expecting a time period where they have to get used to it," Gary said. "If it moves anything faster, that's good. But when you have changes, it confuses people, and I watch people go through one shoe on and one shoe off, and you can't confuse them. It's too easy. But it will end up being a good thing."
