‘It takes you one minute’: Kristi Noem’s vision for post-9/11 air travel is pure fantasy

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s recent comments about making airport security faster sound good in theory, but in reality, her ideas seem more like an overly optimistic fantasy. After recently ending the decades-old rule requiring passengers to remove their shoes at security, Noem suggested more changes could be coming, including possibly getting rid of the 3.4-ounce limit for liquids in carry-on bags.

According to Fox, she even described a future where travelers could “walk in the door with your carry-on suitcase, walk through a scanner, and go right to your plane” in just “one minute.” Can anyone imagine a world where TSA stays protective of the airports, but you also get to your flight in a minute?

Noem made these remarks at an event in Washington, D.C., following her announcement that passengers no longer have to take off their shoes at TSA checkpoints across the country. This rule had been in place since 2006, after a failed shoe bombing attempt in 2001, and its removal was credited to improvements in security screening technology.

Reality or fiction ?

The 3.4 ounce liquid rule, which started in 2006 after authorities stopped a liquid explosives terror plot in London, has long been a major part of post-9/11 airport security. Getting rid of it would likely make travelers happy, since many are tired of having to quickly finish their drinks or throw away items that don’t meet the rule. Noem said the TSA is “questioning” the liquid rule and that it “may be the next big announcement,” hinting that a change could be coming.

However, the idea of getting through security in just “one minute” seems far from reality right now. Even though new technology and a “multilayered screening process” are being introduced, the challenges of airport operations, like checking IDs, screening bags, and handling huge crowds of travelers, make it very unlikely that such fast security checks will happen anytime soon.

Even with the recent change to the shoe rule and possible future changes to liquid restrictions, getting from the airport entrance to the plane still involves multiple steps. The TSA still requires some items to be taken out of bags and placed in bins for X-ray screening. While some airports have advanced CT scanners that let passengers leave more items in their bags, not all airports have these. Additionally, exceptions for things like medicine and baby formula, though helpful, still mean extra checks for some travelers.

Noem did not say when changes to the liquid rules might officially happen. She explained that the TSA is working with companies to get “competitive bids” on new technology and plans to test new systems at a few airports before rolling them out nationwide.