Hartsfield-Jackson International again had the most guns caught at security checkpoints of any airport in the nation in the first half of 2023, according to figures released by the Transportation Security Administration.
A total of 214 guns were intercepted at Hartsfield-Jackson checkpoints in the first half of this year, up from 203 in the same period of 2022.
At all other Georgia airports, a total of 226 guns were caught in the first half of the year at security checkpoints, up from 218 in the same period of 2022.
Nationally, there were 3,251 guns detected in the first half of the year, up from 3,053 in the first six months of 2022.
The Atlanta airport has had the most guns intercepted in the country for the last seven years. The record for guns discovered at Hartsfield-Jackson was 2021, when 507 firearms were detected there.
While Hartsfield-Jackson is the world’s busiest airport in terms of total passenger counts, some other U.S airports have more people passing through security checkpoints.
That’s because the majority of passengers at the Atlanta airport are connecting between flights, meaning they don’t go through security at Hartsfield-Jackson.
When a gun is detected at an airport checkpoint, TSA notifies police to respond to the checkpoint.
Those caught with guns at airport checkpoints risk being charged and could face civil fines of up to $14,950. TSA also says those caught can lose their eligibility for the TSA PreCheck trusted traveler program for up to five years.
Passengers can travel with guns if they are unloaded, declared to the airline and properly packed in a locked, hard-sided case in checked baggage.
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