The Transportation Security Administration is considering a change that would let some travelers keep full water bottles with them at airport security checkpoints, according to reports.
The proposal under review would apply only to passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck and only at a select number of airports nationwide. It is not yet clear which airports would be included.
Senior administration officials told CBS that the change would be limited to airports equipped with advanced CT scanners capable of telling the difference between water and other liquids. That technology already exists and can screen full bottles of liquid, but TSA has not purchased enough of the scanners to roll the policy out broadly, even for PreCheck members, according to CBS. The agency also currently lacks the funding needed to expand the program, the outlet reported.
TSA PreCheck lets eligible travelers use expedited screening lanes and generally keep their shoes, belts and light jackets on during the process. A five-year PreCheck membership typically costs less than $100, according to the agency.
Mixed reactions online
News of the potential change prompted a range of responses on an aviation-focused Reddit forum, from enthusiasm to skepticism about how confusing a patchwork rollout could be.
“Welcome to 2026, USA,” one Redditor wrote.
“This might finally convince me to get TSA Pre-Check, to be honest,” another commenter said.
Others worried that inconsistent rules from one airport to the next would create headaches for travelers used to a single national standard.
“Sounds great, but I am conditioned to carry an empty bottle through security,” one commenter wrote.
“A new level of confusion coming. Airport + PreCheck variables. Oh my,” another Redditor wrote. “In Newark I was able to bring water but in Boise I cannot. It is not fair.”
The comment referenced Newark, New Jersey, and Boise, Idaho, as an example of how the policy could play out differently depending on location.
Some commenters simply joked about the prospect of yet another shift in airport security routines.
“What will they yell at us about now that we can bring water?” one person asked.
“Laptop stays in the bag. No no no laptop out of the bag,” another joked.
Fox News Digital reached out to the TSA for comment. The agency has not publicly confirmed which airports, if any, would take part in the potential change.
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