Footwear removal no longer required in PH airports except when flying to the US
Removal of footwear is no longer required in Philippine airports except when flying to the United States, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
In an interview with TeleRadyo, DOTr Sec. Jaime Bautista said a final screening is conducted before passing through the gate, during which there would be another security check.
Passengers would also be required to remove their footwear if the alarm is triggered during security screening.
The DOTr required footwear removal last July at the behest of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The ICAO said authorities might require that passengers remove their shoes because prohibited items can be embedded inside, which may not be revealed by a walk-through metal detector.
Bautista, however, said they requested implementing it only for US travelers since a lot of passengers boarding other flights get delayed with the requirement.
The US Transportation Security Administration requires footwear removal and recommends wearing slip-on shoes for easier inspection. The rule was implemented after a terrorist attempted to detonate explosives in his shoe while onboard a flight from Europe to the US back in December 2001.