Passengers flying from Boston’s Logan Airport were excited to hear the news Tuesday that TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through security checkpoints at airports across the country.”Oh, thank God, it’s annoying!” one passenger exclaimed. Travelers on Tuesday kept their shoes on while going through security at Logan, ending a two-decades-old policy.Aviation expert Tom Kinton was the head of MassPort in 2001 when the “shoe bomber” Richard Reid tried to detonate bombs in his shoes just months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.The plane, which departed Paris and was originally scheduled to land in Miami, was diverted to Logan Airport.Immediately after the incident, Kinton and Massachusetts State Police made the call to have every passenger remove their shoes.”What we saw was a threat, and we wanted to mitigate it at our airport as quickly as we could, and that was to take your shoes off and put them through the X-ray machine,” Kinton said. The move later became a TSA requirement; however, technology has since advanced with new screening devices.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says security checkpoints are ready at all airports across the country.Travelers using TSA PreCheck have long kept their shoes on, showing that the “new” system has already been tested.Kinton says he agrees with the announcement. “I think it’s time,” Kinton said. “Now, they’re comfortable that if you’re going to put something in your shoes, we’re gonna find it.”Noem hinted Tuesday at more security technology to be piloted in the next 6-9 months.

EAST BOSTON, Mass. —Passengers flying from Boston’s Logan Airport were excited to hear the news Tuesday that TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through security checkpoints at airports across the country.

“Oh, thank God, it’s annoying!” one passenger exclaimed.

Travelers on Tuesday kept their shoes on while going through security at Logan, ending a two-decades-old policy.

Aviation expert Tom Kinton was the head of MassPort in 2001 when the “shoe bomber” Richard Reid tried to detonate bombs in his shoes just months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The plane, which departed Paris and was originally scheduled to land in Miami, was diverted to Logan Airport.

Immediately after the incident, Kinton and Massachusetts State Police made the call to have every passenger remove their shoes.

“What we saw was a threat, and we wanted to mitigate it at our airport as quickly as we could, and that was to take your shoes off and put them through the X-ray machine,” Kinton said.

The move later became a TSA requirement; however, technology has since advanced with new screening devices.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says security checkpoints are ready at all airports across the country.

Travelers using TSA PreCheck have long kept their shoes on, showing that the “new” system has already been tested.

Kinton says he agrees with the announcement.

“I think it’s time,” Kinton said. “Now, they’re comfortable that if you’re going to put something in your shoes, we’re gonna find it.”

Noem hinted Tuesday at more security technology to be piloted in the next 6-9 months.