Travelers heading to the airport this summer will notice a significant change at security checkpoints: they no longer need to remove their shoes during screening.

The policy shift, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, marks the end of a nearly two-decade-old requirement.

Officials hope the change will streamline the screening process and ease congestion at airport security lines, just in time for the busy summer travel season.

“I didn’t have to take my shoes off, but they used a wand around my sneakers,” said Capullo Simon, a passenger who had just flown in from Virginia. “It was faster there.”

Another traveler, Catherine, also praised the updated process.

“It was faster and people were more courteous. I didn’t feel rushed,” she said.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has long required passengers to remove their shoes as part of post-9/11 security measures.

That rule has now been lifted nationwide.

Secretary Noem said the rollout is immediate and applies to all U.S. airports.

Noem says some passengers could still be required to remove their shoes on a case-by-case basis.