TSA prevents man from bringing gun onto plane at Philadelphia International Airport

PHILADELPHIA - Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Philadelphia International Airport intercepted a handgun at one of the security checkpoints yesterday. It was the 29th firearm detected at the airport checkpoints this year.

The firearm was intercepted when the checkpoint X-ray unit alerted a TSA officer of the gun inside the carry-on bag. Police responded and confiscated the firearm. The man told officials that he forgot that he had his gun with him.

"Bringing a firearm to an airport security checkpoint introduces an unnecessary security risk to our officers and to fellow travelers," said Gerardo Spero, TSA's Federal Security Director for the airport. "Here it is one week before the 23rd anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and it should be obvious to all travelers that no weapons are permitted to be carried onto the cabin of an aircraft. We have no issues with people who pack their firearms properly for a flight. Bringing a loaded handgun to our checkpoints isn't the way to do it. The proper way is to pack your unloaded firearm in a locked hard-sided case. Then take the case to your airline check-in counter and declare that you want to travel with it. The airline will make sure it is transported in the belly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during the flight. It's a fairly simple process."

Firearms caught at TSA checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport, 2017 to 2024

TSA has details on how to travel with a firearm and ammunition posted on its web site. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to individuals who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to individuals with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried through a checkpoint. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy "What can I bring?" feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting "Travel" to AskTSA (275-872).