BURLINGTON, Vt. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a man from carrying a loaded firearm onto his flight at Burlington International Airport (BTV) on Wednesday, Apr. 7. It was the first firearm detected at BTV this year.
During security screening, a TSA officer detected the .380 caliber firearm with a chambered round, along with seven rounds in the passenger’s carry-on bag. The Vermont resident stated he forgot to remove the firearm from the bag before packing for his trip. Burlington Police responded and he was eventually denied entry to his flight.
“Arriving to a security checkpoint with a loaded firearm is not only dangerous and against the law; but, also an inconvenience to other passengers because the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident,” said Bruce McDonald, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Vermont.
Summary of TSA firearm discoveries in previous years at BTV:
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2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
|
BTV |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges. TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. TSA may seek a penalty amount of up to $13,910 per violation, if there are aggravating factors. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.