BUFFALO, N.Y. — More than 1,500 guns have been confiscated at airport security checkpoints so far this year, and 93 percent of those weapons seized were loaded.
Those numbers were released Thursday by the Transportation Security Administration, which says those numbers are close to what they were a year ago. One notable difference is that roughly 600,000 more airline passengers have been screened this year compared to this time last year.
The TSA is urging people to remember that traveling with a firearm is allowed, but it must be packed properly as "checked baggage" and declared to the airline.
"While it is certainly promising that the rate of passengers bringing firearms to the checkpoint has decreased, one firearm at the checkpoint is too many," TSA administrator David Pekoske said in a statement, announcing the numbers.
"The demand for air travel is as strong as ever and security is always our number one priority. Every time we discover a firearm at the checkpoint, the security screening process is slowed down for all."
The TSA says if you do wish to travel with a firearm, remember these four things:
- Make sure it's secured in the passenger’s checked baggage.
- Make sure it's unloaded when it's packed unloaded.
- Make sure it's locked in a hard-sided case.
- Make sure to declare it to the airline when checking the bag at the ticket counter.
"Traveling with a firearm is allowed and it must be packed properly as checked baggage and declared to the airline at the ticket counter," Pekoske said. "We always recommend passengers start with a clean bag when they pack to ensure no firearms, weapons or other prohibited items are present."
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