TSA considers easing some airport security rules 25 years after 9/11

LOS ANGELES - Travelers who remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001 likely recall a very different commercial aviation landscape. Before that day, airport security was lighter, and non-ticketed friends and family members could walk loved ones all the way to their departure gates to say goodbye.

That environment changed overnight when terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, leading to a complete two-day shutdown of all air traffic. Once flights resumed, security measures tightened dramatically. Less than two months later, Congress created the Transportation Security Administration to oversee airport screening operations.

TSA rules post 9/11

The backstory:

The initial post 9/11 security shift brought growing passenger frustration as travelers adjusted to long lines, shoe removal requirements, and manual pat-downs. Over the past quarter-century, technological additions such as CLEAR, TSA PreCheck, and digital IDs have helped speed up processing times, though screening remains focused and strict.

"Security is a lot tighter, more focus on what people are doing," said traveler Rowan. "It’s taken a little bit longer to get through, but it’s still okay."

Now, 25 years later, the agency is easing some long-standing restrictions. Under a new pilot initiative called "Gateside by TSA PreCheck," non-ticketed visitors are being allowed through security checkpoints to greet or see off passengers at airport gates across 13 participating airports, including Los Angeles International Airport.

Gateside access for PreCheck members

What we know:

Access under the new program is restricted exclusively to individuals holding active TSA PreCheck status.

"We do annual background checks on you, so we know that you're low risk," said TSA spokesperson Jessic Mayle. "You wouldn't be able to just be a person off the street who had never told TSA anything about yourself and take advantage of this program."

Additional changes may be on the horizon as airports continue upgrading their screening infrastructure. Officials indicate that airports equipped with updated CT scanners may eventually allow passengers to carry full water bottles through security checkpoints again.

"We hope that it will help the passenger experience because TSA sometimes kind of gets a bad name, and we're going to improve that," said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Cockpit security remains strict

What won't change:

While passenger checkpoint procedures may evolve, flight deck security measures implemented after 9/11 will remain firmly in place to prevent unauthorized access to the cockpit.

"When Al-Qaeda did what they did, first off the thinking was they will never harm the pilots because they need the pilots to fly the plane," said security specialist Hal Kempfer. "In this case, they did not need them. They trained themselves to fly the plane, so the pilots were summarily killed."

Because of those lessons, structural hardening of commercial flight decks will stay standard across the industry.