TSA: Record number of firearms found in hand luggage at airport security checkpoints in 2022

WASHINGTON – transport security administration recorded a record number of firearms found at airport security checkpoints across the country in 2022.

The agency prevented 6,542 firearms from passing through security checkpoints last year, according to the TSA, adding that 88% of them were loaded.

This number exceeds the previous record of 5,972 firearms found in 2021, nearly 10% more than the 2021 record high.

Gun ownership laws vary by state and local government, but firearms are never allowed in carry-on baggage at any TSA checkpoint, even if the passenger has a gun permit.

“I applaud the work of our Transportation Security Officers who are doing an excellent job of keeping firearms out of airport security areas and on board aircraft,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Firearms are prohibited in hand luggage at the security checkpoint and on board the aircraft. When a passenger brings a firearm to a security checkpoint, it consumes significant security resources and poses a potential safety hazard to the transport, as well as being very costly to the passenger. “

Since the reduction in travel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of firearms not being allowed through security checkpoints has skyrocketed. In 2019, the number of stopped firearms was 4,432.

In one case, on September 29, a man was stopped at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington, D.C., after attempting to smuggle a 9mm pistol loaded with 14 bullets through a security checkpoint.

Most firearms found at Atlanta airport

The TSA reported 262 airports where firearms were found last year.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has broken the record for the most weapons found in luggage at security checkpoints. In total, the TSA said its officers found 448 firearms in travelers’ hand luggage.

It was followed by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport with 385 firearm detections and Houston George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport with 298 detections.

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TSA officers stopped 39 handguns at New York airport security checkpoints in 2022, up from 26 handguns caught in 2021. The biggest jump in firearms was at LaGuardia Airport, where TSA officers found 11 handguns in 2022, up from those caught in 2021.

Meanwhile, officers stopped 118 handguns at Virginia airport checkpoints in 2022, a new record and 20% more than the 98 weapons caught in 2021.

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TSA increases penalties for violating firearms regulations

In hopes of reducing the threat of firearms at checkpoints, the TSA has increased the maximum civil fine for gun violations to almost $14,950 in 2023.

The TSA notes that it will continue to revoke TSA pre-screening eligibility for a minimum of five years for passengers caught with firearms. In addition, the agency may conduct enhanced screening of these passengers to ensure there are no other threats.

Depending on state or local law in the area where the airport is located, passengers carrying firearms into a security checkpoint may be arrested by law enforcement.

Air passengers who wish to carry firearms must do so in their checked baggage. These passengers must follow the instructions for packing firearms in checked baggage and declare them to their airline at check-in.

On Monday, agents at San Antonio International Airport found an 84mm weapon in their checked baggage. On Monday, the TSA initially noted that the weapon was “undeclared,” but made a correction on Tuesday confirming that the passenger had reported the item to the airline, but the TSA had not been informed.

“As a precaution, TSA has not allowed this item through baggage screening,” the agency wrote on Twitter.

Airlines may have additional requirements for carrying firearms and ammunition, so travelers should also check with their airline regarding firearms and ammunition regulations prior to arriving at the airport.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.