UPDATE: After much resistance, the TSA has announced small knives will stay banned.
For the first time since 2001, air travelers will now be able to bring small knives on planes again, according to an announcement from the TSA this morning.
The change, which conforms to more lenient international rules on what passengers can take on board, will take effect starting April 25.
While this is a big victory for knife carriers around the country, there are still numerous restrictions on what knives can be carried on board. Only knives that are under 2.36 inches (or 6 centimeters), have non-locking blades and have a blade width of less than half an inch will be allowed. All other knives will still be confiscated.
Here’s more from the American Knife and Tool Institute on the announcement:
The American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) was instrumental in working with TSA to allow this policy change to happen. “As the knife and tool industry association, we were very pleased to work with the TSA on these revisions to ease the restrictions for all Americans carrying essential and valuable tools when they travel,” noted Jan Billeb, AKTI Executive Director.
If you’re wondering why this change was made, TSA spokesman David Castelveter said that they will now focus more on what could present “catastrophic damage to the aircraft.”