New Delhi, July 8 -- Nearly 20 years after airline passengers were first required to remove their shoes for security screening, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is beginning to phase out the policy at airports across the United States, according to media reports.

The directive, issued last week, states that starting Sunday, all passengers will be allowed to keep their shoes on in general screening lanes at many major airports - not just those enrolled in TSA PreCheck.

The goal is to expand the new policy to all US airports shortly, the memo reportedly states.

The change marks a significant move toward modernising and streamlining airport security, which has long been criticised for delays and inconvenience. TSA has spen...