by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:18 AM ET, Thu October 14, 2021
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced a record number of firearms have been discovered at airport security checkpoints this year.
The 20-year record was reported with three months remaining in the calendar year and fewer passengers traveling due to the pandemic. As of October 3, TSA officers stopped 4,495 travelers from carrying firearms onto flights, surpassing the previous record of 4,432 guns caught in 2019.
The TSA discovered 11 firearms in carry-on bags at airport checkpoints per million passengers screened so far in 2021, compared to the five firearms per million passengers caught in 2019.
"The number of firearms that our TSA officers are stopping at airport checkpoints is alarming," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. "Firearms, particularly loaded firearms, introduce an unnecessary risk at checkpoints, have no place in the passenger cabin of an airplane, and represent a very costly mistake for the passengers who attempt to board a flight with them."
TSA PreCheck members caught with a firearm at a security checkpoint would lose their expedited screening privileges for three years or more.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage as long as the weapon is unloaded, packed hard-sided case and declared to the airline before a flight. Passengers must also inform the airline representative of their intention to travel with the firearm.
Firearms are transported with checked baggage and placed in the cargo hold of the aircraft.
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