US air security workers prevented 6,678 attempts to take firearms airside and onto aircraft in 2024, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has revealed.
One gun is too many
Although the figure may seem shocking, and even more so given that 94% of the guns were loaded with ammunition at the time of the interceptions, it’s worth noting that the number of firearms discovered per million passengers is around 7.4 and that the quantity of firearms found is actually a slight reduction on previous year’s data.
Even so, “One firearm at a checkpoint is too many,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Firearms present a safety risk for our employees and everyone else at the checkpoint. It’s also costly and slows down operations.”
The reduction in attempts to travel with firearms is something the agency has linked in a statement to a campaign it ran throughout the year to raise public awareness about undertaking journeys while carrying weapons. The “Prepare, Pack, Declare” national firearms document reminds people that “firearms are never allowed to travel through the passenger screening checkpoint. Firearms may only be transported in checked baggage.” In addition, all firearms must be “completely unloaded and packed in a locked, hard-sided case before coming to the airport. Only the passenger may retain the key or lock combination.”
When it comes to ammunition, “Properly packaged small arms ammunition not exceeding 75 calibres for a rifle or pistol, magazines, and shotgun shells of any gauge may be carried inside of a magazine or container in the same hard-sided case as the firearm, but never stored in the firearm itself,” the guidance goes on.


Breaching rules can lead to a fine and federal prosecution
While the TSA recognises that “States and localities, airlines, and foreign countries have their own regulations and laws concerning the possession of firearms,” it cautions flyers that “When a passenger is discovered with a firearm at a TSA passenger screening checkpoint, transportation security officers will stop screening and contact local law enforcement. Local law enforcement will take control of the property, verify and secure the firearm, and process the passenger in accordance with local laws.”
Would-be air passengers should also bear in mind that the TSA issues fines to anyone bringing a firearm to one of its checkpoints with a civil penalty up to about $15,000, and removes the passenger’s TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years. What’s more, the attempt can be referred to federal authorities for prosecution.