Airports Council Welcomes DHS Efforts to Improve the Passenger Experience

July 8, 2025

Washington – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to streamline the passenger experience at security checkpoints by eliminating the requirement for passengers to remove their shoes during screening.

“Ensuring the safety and security of the traveling public is an airport’s top priority,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke.  “We welcome today’s announcement by DHS Secretary Noem that passengers will be able to keep their shoes on during the security screening process. We look forward to continuing our work with DHS, the Transportation Security Administration, and other stakeholders to deploy best-in-class technology and outcome-focused approaches to security that further enhance security and the passenger experience.”

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About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.