TSA officers at MHT detected this .380 caliber firearm on Monday, February 19, 2024. (TSA Photo)
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a woman from carrying a firearm onto an airplane at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) on Monday, February 19. This was the first firearm detection this year by TSA officers at an MHT security checkpoint.
On Monday morning, at the main security checkpoint, TSA officers detected a firearm in a female passenger’s carry-on bag. TSA immediately notified Londonderry Police who responded, and discovered an unloaded .380 caliber firearm.
Police eventually took possession of the firearm and the 32-year-old New Hampshire woman was eventually allowed to continue.
“Our TSA officers continue to do a fantastic job preventing firearms from entering the secure area of the airport,” said Kieran Flynn, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Hampshire. “Passengers who are traveling with firearms must ensure they are properly packed in their checked baggage. When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm it can slow or shut down security screening until the police resolve the incident.”
In 2023 TSA discovered two firearms at MHT security checkpoints and one in 2022.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded gun into a checkpoint is $3,000 and can go as high as $15,000 depending on any mitigating circumstances.
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. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
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.