(‘No Guns on Planes’ photo courtesy TSA)
Pop quiz: Can you take your gun on a plane in your carry-on bag?
The answer is no.
But the message isn’t getting through. No matter how many times and in how many ways the Transportation Security Administration crew tries to remind travelers of that fact.
In 2023, TSA officers found 6,737 firearms in carry-on bags at airport security checkpoints.
That’s up from the 6,542 firearms detected in 2022. And it’s a scary new record.
Even more alarming: of all the guns TSA found in carry-on bags at airport checkpoints nationwide in 2023, approximately 93 percent were loaded.
The TSA didn’t share how many of those loaded guns had a bullet in the chamber. (They used to).
Top 10 list of airports where TSA found the most guns
In 2023, firearms were caught at 265 airport checkpoints.
Here’s a TSA chart showing the 10 airports where TSA found the most guns. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) tops the list with a total of 451 firearms. Three Texas airports are on the Top 10 list.
| Top 10 airports with guns caught by TSA at checkpoints in 2023 | ||
| Rank | Airport (Code) | Total |
| 1 | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) | 451 |
| 2 | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) | 378 |
| 3 | Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) | 311 |
| 4 | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) | 235 |
| 5 | Nashville International Airport (BNA) | 188 |
| 6 | Denver International Airport (DEN) | 178 |
| 7 | Orlando International Airport (MCO) | 164 |
| 8 | Tampa International Airport | 144 |
| 9 | Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) | 135 |
| 10 | Dallas Love Field (DAL) | |
The numbers have been climbing. This chart shows firearms caught by TSA at checkpoints from 2008 to 2023
| Year | Nationwide |
| 2023 | 6,737 |
| 2022 | 6,542 |
| 2021 | 5,972 |
| 2020 | 3,257 |
| 2019 | 4,432 |
| 2018 | 4,239 |
| 2017 | 3,957 |
| 2016 | 3,391 |
| 2015 | 2,653 |
| 2014 | 2,212 |
| 2013 | 1,813 |
| 2012 | 1,556 |
| 2011 | 1,320 |
| 2010 | 1,123 |
| 2009 | 976 |
| 2008 | 926 |
Can you take your gun in your checked bag?
The answer is yes. But.
TSA says travelers may pack firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a locked hard-side case.
Ammunition must be in its original box and can be packed inside the hard-side case, next to the firearm. Even if the box of ammunition is not full, the bullets must be in their original case. The case with the firearm should be brought to the airline check-in counter to be declared to the airline representative.
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