Even though the year isn't quite done, the Transportation Security Administration reported on Friday that it has discovered more guns than ever before at airport security checkpoints.
As of Dec. 16, TSA personnel had stopped a record 6,301 guns that travelers had taken to airport checkpoints.
88% of the 6,301 guns were loaded.
The number of "finds" of firearms this year has already surpassed the previous high of 5,972 firearms discovered in 2021.
The TSA estimates that by the end of 2022, after the hectic holiday travel season, it will have found nearly 6,600 illegal guns in carry-on luggage at airport checkpoints.
That is a rise of about 10% from the record-breaking level of 2021.
Since 2010, there has been a yearly increase in the number of firearms discovered at airport checkpoints, with the exception of 2020, when there was a minor decrease in passenger volume due to the start of the pandemic.
Even if a person possesses a concealed weapon permit, weapons are never permitted in carry-on bags at any TSA screening checkpoint, as TSA officials frequently remind customers.
A potential civil punishment of up to $14,950 (for repeat offenders; up from $13,910) and the loss of TSA PreCheck status for at least five years are now imposed for carrying a handgun through a security checkpoint, in addition to slowing down the checkpoint security operations.
As part of its civil enforcement program, the TSA now considers frames, receivers, and 3D-printed firearms as firearms, changing the definition of what constitutes a firearm.
Passengers who carry firearms to a checkpoint may be detained by law authorities depending on the state or municipal laws in the airport's jurisdiction.
In a statement announcing the record-breaking number of firearms discovered at airport checkpoints this year, TSA administrator David Pekoske stated that carry-on luggage at checkpoints and on aircraft is not allowed to include firearms.
In addition to being extremely expensive for the passenger, bringing a firearm on board uses up a lot of security resources and could endanger transportation security.
TSA authorities report that the majority of travelers found in possession of loaded weapons at screening checkpoints claim to have "forgotten" to remove them from their person.
When airport security personnel discovered a loaded weapon in a traveler's carry-on, this is exactly what the passenger replied.
Others go to great measures to disguise the weapons they attempt to get on board airplanes, such as the passenger who placed a pistol inside a raw turkey to transport it through airport security at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in early November.
It is possible to fly while carrying a gun.
The TSA reminds travelers that they can only transport firearms in checked baggage, that they must adhere to correct packing instructions for firearms in checked baggage, and that they must notify their airline of the firearms at check-in.
Airlines might also establish new guidelines and specifications.
FACEBOOK