Travelers who delight in finding cheap fares and cheap vacation packages may soon be even happier to fly. The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is reviewing whether passengers will continue to need to remove their shoes when going through security checkpoints once shoe scanning machines are installed at airports.
TSA plans to purchase 100 shoe scanning machines by next year.
TSA says that allowing passengers to keep shoes on when passing though security checkpoints would help checkpoints run more smoothly and allow TSA personnel to focus on other security concerns.
Shoe scanners are designed to find metal weapons and explosives in shoes. TSA believes that these scanners will improve security.
IDO Security has produced shoe scanners currently being used in 15 locations abroad, including Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel and airports in China, Rome and Prague. IDOs MagShoe costs between $4,400 to $7,000. It is also used at a cruise ship terminal in Florida to screen passengers, crew and vendors.
TSA began selectively asking passengers to remove their shoes when going through security checkpoints in late 2001 after a passenger tried to ignite explosives in his boots on a U.S. bound flight. Shoe removal became compulsory in 06 after a failed attempt to blow up U.S. bound planes with liquid explosives.
TSA acknowledges that passenger often rate shoe removal as the single biggest hassle of checkpoint security. Shoe detection machines exist that can detect powder explosives containing metal but not plastic explosives. To date, no technology exists that can test for all explosives.
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