More than ever, people are trying to board planes with guns

Travelers moving through Pittsburgh International Airport continued to bring firearms to security checkpoints at a rate of more than two per month.

Transportation Security Administration agents at the airport caught 34 guns at checkpoints last year, up slightly from the 32 caught in 2017, according to Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman.

Nationwide, more travelers tried to board planes with firearms than ever before, continuing a steady increase that began more than a decade ago.

In 2018, TSA agents across the country caught 4,239 firearms at security checkpoints, more than 11 per day, Farbstein said. That’s up more than 400 percent from a decade ago when, nationally, 926 guns were found at security checkpoints.

The 2018 total was up from the 3,957 guns stopped at checkpoints in 2017.

“I think what is surprising is that so many people claim that they forgot that they had their guns with them,” Farbstein said. “If you own a gun, you should know where it is at all times. In addition, 86 percent of the guns are loaded and one-third have a bullet in the chamber. Forgetting that you have a loaded gun with you is not good.”

Philadelphia, bucking the national trend, saw a decrease of about 16 percent. Agents found 25 guns in carry-on baggage in 2018, down from 35 in 2017.

Security agents at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity stopped two firearms. Six were found at Harrisburg International, according to TSA data.

No Pennsylvania airport made the top five in terms of the number of guns caught by security:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, 298

• Dallas/Fort Worth International, 219

• Phoenix Sky Harbor International, 129

• Denver International, 126

• Orlando International, 123

“TSA is a-OK with allowing people to travel with their guns,” Farbstein said. “All we ask is that they do it the right way, pack it the right way.”

Federal regulations allow passengers to pack firearms – unloaded – in their checked baggage, but no guns or weapons are permitted in carry-on bags. Guns in check bags must be packed in a hard-side case, and ammunition must be in its original box. It must then be brought to the airport check-in counter.

The federal penalty for the first-time offense of bringing a gun to a checkpoint is $3,900, according to regulations. The TSA can impose civil penalties in excess of $13,000.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.