TSA finding more guns at airports; Cincy, Columbus set records, Dayton declines

By comparison, TSA officers stopped eight handguns at Dayton International Airport security checkpoints in 2023, a decrease from the recent peak of 13 detected in 2022, but still the second-highest number in Dayton in the past five years.

Nationwide, TSA officers stopped a total 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints, preventing them from getting into the secure areas of the airport and onboard aircraft. Approximately 93% of these firearms were loaded. This total surpasses the previous year’s record of 6,542 firearms stopped at checkpoints, and represents the highest one-year total in TSA’s history.

“We are still seeing far too many firearms at TSA checkpoints, and what’s particularly concerning is the amount of them loaded, presenting an unnecessary risk to everyone at the TSA checkpoint,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a release. “Firearms and ammunition are strictly prohibited in carry-on baggage. Passengers are only allowed to travel with an unloaded firearm, and only if they pack it properly in a locked, hard-sided case in their checked baggage and first declare it to the airline at the check-in counter.”

At other sites in the region, TSA officers stopped 38 handguns at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport security checkpoints in 2023, a slight increase from the 35 detected in 2022. The smaller Rickenbacker International Airport and Akron-Canton Airport also saw slight increases, with each going from two firearms caught in 2022 to three firearms caught in 2023.

The number of firearms confiscated overall at Kentucky’s five airports, which includes CVG, increased from 116 in 2023 to 119 in 2024.

In addition to the safety risk, firearms at airports can represent an expensive mistake for passengers who do not follow the rules.

When a firearm is detected at a security checkpoint, TSA officers immediately contact local law enforcement, who remove the passenger and the firearm from the checkpoint area. Depending on local laws, the law enforcement officer may arrest or cite the passenger. TSA does not confiscate firearms.

In addition to law enforcement action, TSA fines passengers who bring a firearm to a TSA checkpoint with a civil penalty up to about $15,000, revokes TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years and may conduct enhanced screening to ensure there are no other threats present.

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. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from.

“Responsible gun owners know where their guns are and they know not to bring them to a checkpoint,” Ohio TSA Federal Security Director Don Barker said in a release. “We urge passengers to start with an empty bag so you know with certainty that there is nothing prohibited inside. Bringing a firearm to the checkpoint is a careless, dangerous mistake that passengers can easily avoid.”

Some of the increase in firearms found at TSA checkpoints can be attributed to an increase in passengers. In 2023, TSA screened approximately 858.6 million passengers and crew at airports across the country. That figure represents a 12.7% increase over the approximately 761.4 million screened in 2022.

The agency intercepted 7.8 firearms per million passengers in 2023, or one firearm for every 127,447 travelers screened nationwide. That was a decrease from the 8.6 firearms per million passengers in 2022.

For more information on how to properly travel with a firearm, click here. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. To view a complete list of penalties, click here.