Record number of loaded guns seized from passengers across US airports

Airline passengers in US can travel with firearms in a checked-in bag when they are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided case. Representational Image.

Washington: A record number of firearms have been confiscated from several US airport passengers in 2022, transport officials have said. A total of 6,301 guns were seized at checkpoints as of mid-December – and among those a massive 88% were still loaded.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it expects to confiscate 6,600 guns by year’s end – a 10% increase over 2021’s level.

The administrative agency said guns brought to airports consumes significant resources and is very costly for the passenger.

The number of guns found in 2022 surpasses the previous record from last year, when 5,972 firearms were detected in baggage of passengers.

The Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, had the highest number of recorded firearm stops, while Dallas/Fort Worth Airport in the state of Texas had the second highest.

Administrative officials could not find any clear reason why so many people were attempting to clear security while carrying a weapon.

Gun possession laws vary from state to state in the US, but firearms are not allowed in the passenger cabin on an aircraft, even if a passenger has a concealed weapon permit. If TSA officials detect a weapon at a checkpoint, they issue a civil penalty that varies by number of previous offenses and whether the gun was loaded at the time.

The agency also said it is raising the maximum civil penalty for a firearms violation from USD 13,910 to USD 14,950.

Airline passengers can travel with firearms in a checked-in bag when they are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided case. Travellers must also tell airline representatives that they intend to travel with the weapon during check-in.

According to the TSA, it screened more than 2.5 million individuals nationwide on 27 November – the Sunday after the Thanksgiving holiday – marking the highest volume since the start of the pandemic.

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