More Guns Caught At Philly International Airport In 2022 Than Ever

PHILADELPHIA — Nearly four dozen firearms were caught by Transportation Security Administration officers working at Philadelphia International Airport in 2022, setting a record, according to the safety group.

TSA said 44 guns were found in carry-on luggage in 2022.

The number set a record for the most guns detected at the airport’s security checkpoint in the 21-year history of TSA.

Thirty-three of those guns — 75 percent — were loaded.

So far in 2023, officers have prevented two travelers from bringing their guns onto airplanes, TSA said.

"Our TSA officers are good at their jobs in helping to ensure that passengers get to their destinations safely and get home safely," said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport.

When a TSA officer spots the image of a handgun on the x-ray monitor, TSA immediately alerts the local police, which responds to the security checkpoint and resolves the matter. In addition to potential criminal citations, travelers face stiff federal civil penalties for bringing guns to the security checkpoint. TSA evaluates each gun incident on a case-by-case basis.

"The most common excuse we hear is that someone claims that they forgot that they had their loaded gun with them," Spero said. "If you own a firearm, you should know where it is at all times. It is part of being a responsible gun owner. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapons permit, firearms are not allowed to board an airplane with the gun in carry-on luggage. The idea is that nobody should have access to a gun during a flight. However, you can transport it with checked baggage if you do so properly."

Below are the number of firearms found at the airport over the past several years:

• 2022 — 44
• 2021 — 39
• 2020 — 26
• 2019 — 20
• 2018 — 25
• 2017 — 35