WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration has started allowing passengers to keep their shoes on during security screening at select airports, according to multiple reports Monday, ending a requirement that has long frustrated travelers.

Sources familiar with the change confirmed to CBS News that passengers at several airports, including Baltimore/Washington International, Fort Lauderdale International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Portland International, Philadelphia International and Piedmont Triad International in North Carolina, no longer have to remove footwear during standard security checks.

CBS News reported the policy change also appears to be in effect at Los Angeles International Airport and New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where correspondents reported Monday that passengers were not required to remove shoes.

The TSA has not officially announced the change and did not confirm the new policy when contacted by The New York Times. A TSA spokesman said in a statement that the agency and Department of Homeland Security “are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture.”

The change was first reported by Gate Access, a travel newsletter written by Caleb Harmon-Marshall, who says he is a former TSA officer. Harmon-Marshall said he witnessed a soft launch of the new policy and had seen an internal memo briefing officers about the change.

The shoe removal requirement was implemented after a terrorist attempted to detonate an explosive device concealed in his shoe aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001, and was officially made mandatory in 2006.

The development could impact the TSA’s PreCheck program, which costs approximately $80 for five years of expedited screening that includes keeping shoes on.