25 years after 9/11, the U.S. starts rolling back travel restrictions, from liquids to gate access - CNBC
Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. is gradually easing some airport security restrictions, such as allowing shoes to remain on. While liquid restrictions remain, new scanning technology is beginning to streamline the screening process for travelers.
Why it matters
This shift reflects the evolution of security technology and the government's attempt to balance public safety with travel convenience.
The Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks reshaped how we travel, from how we pack our toiletries to what we wear when we fly. Airport checkpoints for almost a quarter century for most travelers have meant shoes off. Limitations on liquids. And no tearful, cinematic gateside farewells or joyful welcomes.
But 25 years later, the U.S. government is starting to ease some of the restrictions, which include measures that were tied to other attacks attempted in the months after 9/11.
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security, which was formed after the attacks, said flyers can leave their shoes on at airports, a major change for travelers going through regular security.
That rule was introduced after Richard Reid, who became known as the "shoe bomber," tried and failed to ignite explosive material in his shoe on a Paris-to-Miami flight in December 2001.
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