Passengers at some US airports no longer have to remove their shoes at security.
Eight airports in different states appeared to have dropped the requirement, in place since 2006 after a British man in 2001 attempted to destroy an airliner with explosives hidden in a shoe.
Other Global War on Terror-era security measures may also be slowly winding down: Several European airports have relaxed the rule limiting carry-on liquids to 100 ml (3.4 oz), thanks to improved scanning techniques.
The news counters the usual trend of security measures endlessly ratcheting up, because it is politically difficult to reduce them, as the security expert Bruce Schneier has written.
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