KENNEWICK — Getting to the airport before a flight can feel like a hassle, especially when you have to allow extra time before your trip to go through a security check.
But the next time you take carry-on bags, consider being grateful for the precautions, as they reveal many dangerous objects bound for the cabins of airplanes, including guns. In fact, for the past three years officers with the Transportation Security Administration in Washington have recovered a record-breaking number of firearms.
Across the country, 6,737 firearms in 265 airports were found in 2023, according to a TSA press release. In Washington state alone, 173 firearms were recovered from four airports around the state.
The press release states these numbers reflect only firearms discovered during routine carry-on luggage checks.
Three Washington airports broke individual records, while five recorded no firearms at all.
Since the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the busiest airport in the state by far, it’s no surprise the majority of guns were found there. Of Washington’s 173 recovered firearms, 117 were found at Sea-Tac.
Firearm recoveries increased in 2023 at:
- Sea-Tac: 117 (+4)
- Spokane International Airport: 41 (+7)
- Paine Field: 7 (+3)
Firearm recoveries decreased in 2023 at:
- Tri-Cities Airport: 8 (-3)
- Bellingham International Airport: 0 (-1)
- Yakima Air Terminal: 0 (-1)
No firearms were recovered in 2022 or 2023 at:
- Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport
- Pangborn Memorial Airport
- Walla Walla Regional Airport
“TSA in Washington set a record for the number of passengers and crew screened in 2023, but we also set a record for the number of firearms discovered in travelers’ carry-on luggage,” Chris Hadinger, the acting Federal Security Director for TSA in Washington, stated in the press release. “This is not the type of record we want to set in the Evergreen State.”
Hadinger urges travelers to follow procedure for traveling with firearms, as there is a safe and legal way to do so.
First, you should check with the specific airline for any additional protocols, there may be other guidelines on top of TSA’s. You’ll also want to familiarize yourself with the gun laws at your destination, to be sure you’re in compliance there as well.
Firearms need to be inside of checked baggage, they cannot be packed as carry-on. They must be unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided case.
Declare all firearms, ammunition and firearm parts while at the ticket counter during check-in.
Failure to follow this protocol can lead to criminal and civil citations, enhanced security during future travels and Trusted Traveler and PreCheck benefits revoked, when applicable.
