For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain US airports.

The US Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through US airports, according to media reports.

If implemented, it would put an end to a security screening mandate put in place almost 20 years ago, several years after “shoe bomber” Richard Reid’s failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.

Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport briefly adopted a similar mandate but ended it in 2008, when the airport started using MagShoe, a special footwear scanner developed by New York-based, Israeli-founded company IDO Security, according to a Ynet report at the time.

The travel newsletter Gate Access was first to report that the security screening change is coming in the US. ABC News reported on an internal memo sent to TSA officers last week that states the new policy lets travelers keep their shoes on during screenings at many US airports beginning this Sunday.

The plan is for the change to occur at all US airports soon, the memo said.

Travelers were able to skirt the extra security requirement if they were part of the TSA PreCheck program, which costs around $80 for five years. The program allows airline passengers to get through the screening process without removing shoes, belts or light jackets.

The TSA has not officially confirmed the reported security screening change yet.

“TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance passenger experience and our strong security posture,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. “Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”

The TSA began operations in 2001 when then-US president George W. Bush signed legislation for its creation two months after the 9/11 attacks. The agency included federal airport screeners that replaced the private companies airlines had used to handle security.

Over the years, the TSA has continued to look for ways to enhance its security measures, including testing facial recognition technology and implementing Real ID requirements.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.