Augusta airport sets a new record for number of guns seized
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The number of guns seized from fliers at the Augusta Regional Airport rose again last year.
Although the number is small compared to the gargantuan Atlanta airport, it’s a new record here.
Augusta’s total is up dramatically over four years, rising from two in 2020 to five in 2021 to nine in 2022 to 12 in 2023 and finally 17 in 2024.
WHAT’S LEGAL?
Guns on planes: Here are the rules
- Firearms can be transported on a commercial aircraft only if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and placed in checked baggage. Any type of replica firearm is prohibited in carry-on baggage and must be transported in checked luggage.
TSA officers at Georgia airports found 498 guns in travelers’ carry-on luggage in 2024, with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport leading the country at 440.
Statewide in 2024, TSA screened approximately 33.7 million departing travelers at Georgia airports, an increase of more than 10.6% over the 2023 total.
Nationwide, a firearm was detected for every 135,384 engers screened last year. In Georgia, the rate was nearly twice the national, with one firearm discovered for every 67,797 engers screened.
TSA screened about 904 million engers and crew last year, a 5.3% increase over the 858.6 million screened in 2023.
Mark Howell, TSA regional spokesperson, says you’ll have to declare to your airline at check-in that you are traveling with a gun, and you will then fill out a form before they check it onto the plane.
“Bad news, Atlanta is still No. 1 one in the nation for firearms. The good news is that the rate is going down,” said Howell.
He said both of those numbers are down from 2023, even though they screened more engers.
“It feels like we’re starting to turn a corner, but I think it’s a little bit too early to take it as a success when we still have 440 firearms coming to the checkpoint,” Howell said.
He says there will be consequences if you try to bring your firearm through security. Officers will call police and you could face a fine of almost $15,000.
You could also lose TSA pre-check eligibility for five years and go through enhanced security screenings when you fly again. There’s also no guarantee you will get your gun back. Howell said depending on the circumstances, you might have to go to court to fight to get it back.
“In most cases, the excuse we get is, ‘Oops, I forgot it was in my bag.’ If someone brings a firearm to the checkpoint with that excuse, it becomes a safety concern. Here just a couple of years ago in Atlanta, we had a firearm that went off inside the checkpoint. A very scary thing. So, we don’t want those firearms inside the checkpoint, we don’t want them onboard aircraft,” said Howell.
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