INDIANAPOLIS — Firearms, fireworks, razor blades, knives, slingshots and much more are banned at airports across the nation, but just how many does security detect despite all the rules and regulations?
In the first nine months of 2024, the Transportation Security Administration stopped over 5,000 firearms at airport security checkpoints across the country. Sixty-two of those firearms were taken at the Indianapolis International Airport.
While the number is a cause for concern for airports in the U.S., the most recent quarter shows that it is down from 8.1 firearms per one million passengers to 7.5 firearms found per one million passengers, according to TSA.
“TSA is committed to keeping travelers, our officers, and airport employees safe, and the number of firearms being discovered at airport security checkpoints remains a significant challenge,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “Passengers who travel with a firearm must store it unloaded in a locked, hard-sided case, place it in their checked bag, and declare it to the airline at the airline ticket counter. We cannot stress enough the importance of ensuring firearms are secured properly in the passenger’s checked bag and never brought to the security checkpoint.”
TSA is reminding travelers to learn the proper packing procedures for their firearms before heading to the airport.
Passengers may fly with a firearm, but it must be:
- Secured in their checked baggage.
- Packed unloaded.
- Locked in a hard-sided case.
- Declared to the airline when checking the bag at the airline ticket counter.
If a passenger brings a firearm to a security checkpoint on them or in their carry-on luggage, TSA contacts local law enforcement to safely take possession of the firearm.
For more information on how to properly travel with a firearm, click here.
