TSA reminds Pittsburgh-area air travelers how to legally transport guns on flights

So far this year, 24 guns have been detected in carry-on luggage at Pittsburgh International Airport. Most of them have been loaded.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers don’t want that number to go up. They’re reminding people there is a correct way to properly and legally transport firearms for their flights.

“The most common excuse we hear is that someone claims that they forgot that they had their loaded gun with them,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA Federal Security Director for Pittsburgh International Airport, in a news release. “If you own a firearm, you should know where it is at all times. It is part of being a responsible gun owner.”

Guns can be transported on a flight if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared to the airline.

The gun has to be checked and placed in the belly of the plane, never in the cabin of the plane. Replica firearms also are prohibited in carry-on baggage.

In 2021, 32 guns were caught at Pittsburgh International Airport. In 2020, there were 21; in 2019, there were 35.

When a gun is detected, Allegheny County Police are called. Travelers can be faced with criminal citations and civil penalties up to $14,000.

TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms at airport security checkpoints nationwide in 2021. Of those, 86% were loaded. More information can be found here.

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