Pittsburgh Airport Confiscated Gun Numbers Still Problematic

FINDLAY TOWNSHIP, PA — Fewer guns have been confiscated in carry-on luggage at Pittsburgh International Airport this year than in most recent previous years. But with air travel on the rise for the holiday season, Transportation Security Administration officers at Pittsburgh International Airport are reminding travelers not to put firearms in their carry-on baggage.

TSA officers at the airport have detected 24 guns in carry-on luggage thus far this year; 91 percent of them have been loaded. All of the firearms were discovered during routine screenings of carry-on items at the airport checkpoint.

The number of confiscated weapons in recent years:

• 2022 (to date): 24

• 2021: 32

• 2020: 21

• 2019: 35

• 2018: 34

• 2017: 32

In addition to potential criminal citations, travelers face federal civil penalties of as much as $14,000 for bringing guns to the security checkpoint. TSA evaluates each gun incident on a case-by-case basis.

"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, they are not allowed to board an
airplane with the gun in carry-on luggage."

Guns can be transported on a flight if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared to the airline. The airline will be sure that the gun travels with checked baggage in the belly of the plane, never in the cabin of the plane.

Additionally, replica firearms also are prohibited in carry-on baggage and also must be transported in checked luggage.

At the airport during the check-in process, a passenger needs to go to the airline ticket counter to declare the firearm, ammunition and any firearm parts.

“Prior to traveling, individuals who want to transport their firearm should do some homework and check gun laws and regulations at their destination to ensure they are in compliance with all local and state laws,” Keys-Turner said.