This handgun was detected by TSA officers in a passenger’s carry-on bag at Chicago Midway International Airport in July. (TSA photo)
CHICAGO – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped 91 handguns at Chicago O’Hare International Airport security checkpoints in 2021, and 42 at Chicago Midway International Airport, a notable increase over the totals in both 2020 and 2019.
Nationwide, TSA officers stopped 5,972 firearms at airport checkpoints, surpassing the previous record of 4,432 firearms caught at checkpoints in the full calendar year 2019. The figure equals a rate of 10.2 per million passengers, nearly exceeding all previous rates. The majority of those firearms (86%) were loaded. Firearms at TSA checkpoints represent an unnecessary risk and an expensive mistake for passengers who do not follow proper packing guidance for firearms in checked baggage.
“While our passenger volumes have not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, we are seeing even higher numbers of firearms, most of them loaded,” Illinois TSA Federal Security Director Dereck Starks said. “Passengers are strictly prohibited from bringing firearms onboard planes, and our TSA officers are laser-focused on security and preventing weapons from getting through our checkpoints.”
Firearms caught by TSA at Chicago airport checkpoints, 2017 to 2021
|
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
|
|
O’Hare International Airport (ORD) |
91 |
33 |
50 |
48 |
40 |
|
Midway International Airport (MDW) |
42 |
22 |
33 |
40 |
23 |
TSA may impose civil penalties of up to $13,910 per violation per person. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100. The complete list of civil penalties is on the TSA website. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges for a period of time.
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. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from.
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.
Top 10 Airports with guns caught by TSA at checkpoints in 2021
|
Airport (Code) |
Total |
|
|
1 |
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) |
507 |
|
2 |
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) |
317 |
|
3 |
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) |
245 |
|
4 |
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) |
196 |
|
5 |
Nashville International Airport (BNA) |
163 |
|
6 |
Denver International Airport (DEN) |
141 |
|
7 |
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) |
128 |
|
8 |
Orlando International Airport (MCO) |
124 |
|
9 |
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY) |
119 |
|
10 |
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) |
115 |
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