This firearm was intercepted by TSA officers at a Philadelphia International Airport checkpoint on September 24. (TSA photo)
PHILADELPHIA – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Philadelphia International Airport intercepted a handgun at one of the security checkpoints yesterday (September 24). It was the 30th firearm detected at the airport checkpoints this year.
The firearm was intercepted when the checkpoint X-ray unit alerted a TSA officer of the gun inside the carry-on bag. Police responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm and issued the man, a resident of Florida, a criminal citation. TSA will also likely issue him a Federal financial civil penalty, which could cost him thousands of dollars.
“Bringing a loaded firearm to an airport security checkpoint introduces an unnecessary security risk to our officers and to fellow travelers,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “It has been 23 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and it should be obvious to all travelers that no firearms or other weapons are permitted to be carried onto the cabin of an aircraft. If you want to travel with a firearm, the proper way to do so is to place your unloaded gun in a locked hard-sided case. Then take the case to your airline check-in counter and declare that you want to travel with it. The airline will make sure it is transported in the belly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during the flight. It’s a fairly simple process.”
Firearms caught at TSA checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport, 2017 to 2024
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 As of 9/24/24 |
|
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) |
35 |
25 |
20 |
26 |
39 |
44 |
45 |
30 |
TSA has details on how to travel with a firearm and ammunition posted on its web site. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to individuals who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to individuals with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried through a checkpoint. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).