Photo Courtesy of TSA
A TSA officer at LaGuardia Airport detected this loaded handgun in a carry-on bag at a security checkpoint in April 2022.
By Forum Staff
Transportation Security Administration officers stopped 39 handguns at New York City area airport checkpoints in 2022, an increase from the 26 guns caught in 2021, TSA officials announced Tuesday. Each of the firearms were discovered by TSA officers during the routine screening of carry-on property at airport security checkpoints.
The biggest jump in the number of firearms was seen at LaGuardia Airport where TSA officers detected 11 handguns in 2022, up from four caught in 2021. It marked the highest number of guns stopped by TSA at LaGuardia. Westchester County Airport recorded an increase from zero to four guns stopped at the checkpoint from 2021 to 2022. Newark Liberty International Airport recorded a slight increase from 12 to 14 guns. New York Stewart International Airport also saw an uptick from one to three guns caught from 2021 to 2022. John F. Kennedy International Airport was the only airport in the New York City region that noted a decrease in the number of firearms brought to checkpoints in 2022 from nine stopped in 2021 down to seven guns last year.
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 6,542 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2022. It was a significant increase from the 5,972 detected in 2021 and a spike from the 4,432 detected in 2019 (pre-pandemic). Of the guns caught in 2022, approximately 88 percent were loaded. Firearms were caught at 262 airport checkpoints nationwide.
TSA firearms catches at New York City area airport checkpoints, 2018 to 2022:
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
14
11
11
12
14
LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
2
7
3
4
11
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
2
8
2
9
7
Westchester County Airport
0
1
0
0
4
New York Stewart International Airport (SWF)
0
0
1
1
3
Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)
2
1
0
0
0
Total
20
27
17
26
39
Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapon permit, firearms are not permitted to be carried onto an airplane. However, travelers with proper firearm permits can travel legally with their firearms in their checked bags if they follow a few simple guidelines.
Top 10 airports with guns caught by TSA at checkpoints in 2022:
Rank
Airport (Code)
Total
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
448
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
385
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
298
- Nashville International Airport (BNA)
213
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
196
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
162
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
156
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
150
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
134
- Tampa International Airport
131
Travelers can use the “What Can I Bring?” feature on the TSA website or on the free downloadable myTSA app. Travelers can also tweet to @AskTSA or send a text message (275-872) if they have a travel question or are unsure if an item is allowed through security in a carry-on bag. Just snap a picture or send a question and get real-time assistance, TSA officials noted.
