On Sunday morning TSO’s at PWM detected this 9mm during security screening. The 45-year-old North Carolina man was eventually allowed to secure the firearm in his vehicle. (TSA Photo)
PORTLAND, Maine – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers detected another firearm at Portland International Jetport (PWM) on Sunday, April 30. This was the third firearm detection at PWM this year, tying the total number of firearms detected at PWM in 2022.
TSA officers immediately notified Portland Police who discovered a loaded 9mm firearm with a chambered round in a male passenger’s backpack. Police also found a total of 21 rounds in the backpack.
During questioning, the North Carolina resident stated that he meant to leave the firearm in his vehicle, but forgot because he was in a rush. Police eventually escorted the man back to his vehicle in order to secure his firearm.
“Our TSA officers once again are on top of ensuring firearms stay out aircraft cabins,” said Oscar De Los Reyes, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Maine. “Loaded firearms at TSA security checkpoints present an unacceptable safety and security risk to other passengers."
This was the sixth firearm detected at a Maine airport in 2023 and the eighteenth in New England. Around the country, TSA officers have intercepted more than 1,500 firearms at airport security checkpoints during the first quarter of 2023.
Firearms at TSA checkpoints represent an unnecessary risk and an expensive mistake for passengers who do not follow requirements to declare firearms in advance and properly pack them in checked baggage.
TSA has announced several new measures to mitigate firearm threats including enhanced screening for passengers in possession of a firearm at a TSA checkpoint and loss of TSA PreCheck® eligibility for up to five years. In December 2022, TSA also increased the maximum civil penalty for a firearms violation to nearly $15,000.
The complete list of penalties is posted online. Firearms are not permitted in the passenger cabin of an airplane; this includes travelers with a concealed weapon permit.
Airline passengers can fly with firearms in checked baggage if the firearms are properly packed and declared at check-in. However, firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. TSA advises travelers to familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure to ensure they transport guns in accordance with applicable laws. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition, so travelers should also contact the airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies prior to arriving at the airport.
Where local firearm possession laws permit, passengers may travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a locked hard-sided case. Ammunition must be in its original box and can be packed inside the hard-side case next to the firearm. Even if the box of ammunition is not full, the bullets must be in their original case. The passenger must present the case with the firearm at the airline check-in counter and inform the airline representative of their intention to travel with the gun. Firearms are transported with checked baggage and are placed in the cargo hold of the aircraft.
Visit the TSA website for details on traveling properly with a firearm.