Major TSA security changes ahead: How your next airport experience could look

TSA’s long-standing rules about what travelers can pack — and wear — at airport security checkpoints may soon be overhauled.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said this week that liquid restrictions could be the next to go. Her remarks come just weeks after the TSA lifted the shoe-removal requirement at some checkpoints, raising questions about how much post-9/11-era airport security may be evolving.

Noem signals possible end to liquid limits

The backstory:

"The liquids, I’m questioning. So that may be the next big announcement, is what size your liquids need to be," Noem said at a Washington event hosted by The Hill earlier this week.

Currently, travelers are subject to the TSA’s "3-1-1" rule — one quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in 3.4-ounce containers or smaller. That policy was enacted in 2006 after authorities foiled a plot involving liquid explosives on airplanes.

While Noem didn’t give details or a timeline, her comments suggest larger policy shifts could be on the way.

Post-9/11 security rules transformed travel

Big picture view:

After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. government created the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA. Before that, security was often managed by private contractors hired by airlines.

"It was much more casual. And clearly it was ineffective, because 9/11 occurred," airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt told the Associated Press.

The 3-1-1 rule didn’t come until 2006, after a six-week ban on all liquids caused chaos at airports. The ban was later eased, but with strict size and quantity limits that remain in effect today.

What’s driving these changes now?

Dig deeper:

Technology is a major factor.

Newer computed tomography (CT) scanners allow TSA officers to better detect explosive threats, including liquid-based ones. Some airports around the world — including in the U.K. — have already begun lifting liquid restrictions thanks to these machines.

Keith Jeffries, a former TSA federal security director at LAX, told the AP that if the policy changes, it must be clearly communicated. He recalled the confusion in 2006 when the liquid ban went into effect overnight, noting barrels of toothpaste and toiletries were being emptied every 30 minutes.

What we know:

These signals point to a potential shakeup in how Americans experience airport security — but any changes will likely unfold gradually

• TSA has already relaxed the shoe-removal policy at select airports.
• Secretary Noem said the liquid rule is under review.
• New CT scanner technology is increasingly available, but not yet nationwide.

What we don't know:

The uncertainty leaves travelers with more questions than answers for now, especially as new tech is slowly adopted across airports.

• There is no official rule change in place — yet.
• It’s unclear if full-size liquids will be allowed, or if the limits will just expand.
• Not all U.S. airports have the new scanning equipment required to ease restrictions.

Jeffrey Price, an aviation security expert and professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, told the AP it could take "another decade or more" before the technology is fully deployed across the U.S.

Could this affect TSA PreCheck?

What's next:

With both shoe and liquid rules potentially on their way out, the value proposition of TSA PreCheck — which offers those exact conveniences to pre-vetted travelers — may change.

"What is the impact on now both shoes and liquids going to have on TSA PreCheck enrollment? That is the million-dollar question," Jeffries said to the AP.

The TSA hasn’t formally changed its liquid policy yet, but Secretary Noem’s comments signal a potential turning point. Any national rollout would likely be slow and phased, depending on airport infrastructure. But after nearly 20 years of 3.4-ounce bottles and baggie checks, big changes may finally be coming to carry-on rules.