TSA Intercepted 6,542 Guns at US Airport Security in 2022

A monitor displays a "no guns" sign at the Transportation Security Administration security area at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta on Jan. 25, 2023. Brynn Anderson/AP Photo

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intercepted a record 6,542 guns last year at airport checkpoints across the country. The number—roughly 18 per day—is an all-time high for gun interceptions at U.S. airports.

That’s a nearly 10 percent increase from the 2021 record level of 5,972 guns detected at airport checkouts. Eighty-eight percent of the weapons caught in 2022 were loaded, according to the agency. The TSA considers a weapon to be loaded if the passenger has access to both the gun and the ammunition.

“What we see in our checkpoints really reflects what we’re seeing in society, and in society there are more people carrying firearms nowadays,” TSA administrator David Pekoske said.

Guns have been intercepted literally from Burbank, California, to Bangor, Maine. But it tends to happen more at bigger airports in areas with laws more friendly to carrying a gun, Pekoske said.

The top 10 list for gun interceptions at airports in 2022 includes Dallas, Austin, and Houston in Texas; three airports in Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Phoenix; and Denver.

A worker points as people wait for their belongings at the Transportation Security Administration security area at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta on Jan. 25, 2023. Brynn Anderson/AP Photo

Atlanta’s airport, one of the world’s busiest with roughly 85,000 people going through checkpoints on a busy day, led the nation with 448 guns found in 2022.

Top 10 US airports for Firearm Discoveries

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) 448
2. Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) 385
3. George Bush Intercontinental Airport - Houston (IAH) 298
4. Nashville International (BNA) 213
5. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) 196
6. Orlando International Airport (MCO) 162
7. Denver International (DEN) 156
8. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) 150
9. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport 134
10. Tampa International (TPA) 131

The number of weapons discovered at airport checkpoints has increased every year since 2010, with the only decrease occurring during the pandemic.

Nearly everyone caught with a gun claimed to have forgotten they had it with them. 

As air travel in the United States is picking up to pre-pandemic levels, in addition to the surge of gun sales in recent years, some travelers might be unfamiliar with the rules for carrying firearms while traveling by plane.

The TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

Unloaded guns are allowed on planes but only as checked baggage and they have to be declared to the airlines.

When TSA staffers see what they believe to be a weapon on the X-ray machine, they usually stop the belt so the bag stays inside the machine and the passenger can’t get to it. Then they call in law enforcement to handle the situation.

Repercussions vary depending on local and state laws. The person may be arrested and have the gun confiscated. But sometimes they’re allowed to give the gun to a companion who is not flying with them and continue on their way.

“Firearms are prohibited in carry-on bags at the checkpoint and onboard aircraft. When a passenger brings a firearm to the checkpoint, this consumes significant security resources and poses a potential threat to transportation security, in addition to being very costly for the passenger,” Pekoske said in a news release.

The penalty for carrying a gun without following the proper procedures has recently increased to a maximum fine of $15,000.

Passengers also lose their PreCheck status, which allows them to bypass some types of screening, for five years.

Passengers may also miss their flight as well as lose their gun. If federal officials can prove the person intended to bring the gun past the checkpoint into what’s called the airport’s sterile area, it’s deemed a federal offense.

The TSA posts a complete list of civil penalties online.

Guns were discovered at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide last year, according to the TSA.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade group, tracks FBI data about background checks completed for a firearm sale. The numbers were a little over 7 million in 2000 and about 16.4 million last year. They went even higher during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.