More Guns Seized At Virginia Airports As National Record Set

HERNDON, VA — While a record number of guns were seized at U.S. airport security checkpoints in 2018, as did Reagan Washington National Airport, Dulles International Airport saw slightly fewer gun incidents than a year ago, a new report says. Transportation Security Administration officers spotted 82 guns at Virginia airports in 2018, an increase from the 71 caught in 2017. The increase was mainly due to the more than doubling of the number of firearms stopped at Norfolk International Airport.

Virginia’s increase mirrored the national trend of an increase in the number of firearms air travelers have been bringing to airports in recent years.

At the state's four busiest airports these were the gun seizures noted by TSA officers:

• Norfolk International Airport: 10 in 2017 and 21 in 2018
• Washington Dulles International Airport: 19 in 2017 and 17 in 2018
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport: 13 in 2017 and 16 in 2018

TSA agents seized 23 guns at Baltimore Washington International Airport in 2018.

The top 10 airports for firearm seizures in 2018:

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: 298 – an increase of 53 compared to 2017 (253 loaded)
2. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: 219 (193 loaded)
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport: 129 (120 loaded)
4. Denver International Airport: 126 (95 loaded)
5. Orlando International Airport: 123 (112 loaded)
6. George Bush Intercontinental Airport: 117 – a decrease of 25 firearms compared to 2017 (115 loaded)
7. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: 96 (80 loaded)
8. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport: 93 (76 loaded)
9. Dallas Love Field Airport: 89 (83 loaded)
10. Nashville International Airport: 86 (80 loaded)

In total, 4,239 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country last year, a daily average of 11.6 firearms. The TSA said in a news release that last year's national totals are about a 7 percent increase nationally in firearms at airports from the 3,957 detected in 2017. Eighty-six percent of firearms spotted at checkpoints last year were loaded and nearly 34 percent had a bullet in the chamber.

Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint face criminal charges and fines. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapon permit, firearms are not permitted to be carried onto an airplane, but can be in checked bags if they follow TSA guidelines.

The seizures came during a record travel year for the airline industry. A total of 813.8 million passengers and crew members passed through TSA screening, with record-breaking screening numbers during the spring, Thanksgiving and summer travel periods, the agency said. That's more than 2 million travelers a day and a 5.5 percent increase from 2017.

Authorities remind airline passengers that firearms are never allowed at security checkpoints. Passenger who try to transport firearms through security checkpoints face criminal charges and the TSA has the authority to assess fines of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900.

What is the proper procedure for transporting firearms on flights?

Firearms are never permitted in carry-on bags. Firearms are permitted in checked bags if the following requirements are met:

• They are declared to the airline in advance.
• They are unloaded and properly packed.
• The carrier possesses the necessary permits.

Firearms carried as checked baggage must be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided container, and declared to the airline at check-in. Read the guidelines.

Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on, but may be transported in checked baggage.

Passengers should check with their airline if ammunition is permitted in checked baggage. Small arms ammunitions for personal use must be packed in fiber, wood or metal boxes designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Ask about limitations or fees.

More information on how to travel with a firearm can be found on the TSA's website.

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(Photo of Washington Dulles airport by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)