TSA Detected 24 Guns, Most Of Them Loaded, From Boston Airport In 2024

MASSACHUSETTS— Transportation Security Administration agents detected 24 firearms, almost all of them loaded, before travelers could board airplanes at Boston Logan and others around the country in 2024, according to Daniel Velez, spokesman for TSA in the New England region.

The TSA said 94 percent of the firearms seizures at U.S. airports were loaded weapons. Overall, seizures were down last year, although only marginally with a difference of only about 60 guns between 2024 and 2023.

TSA agents screened 903 million passengers in 2024, compared with 858 million the year prior. The rate of firearms seizures per 1 million travelers was 7.4 in 2024, compared with 7.8 in 2023.

At Boston Logan, TSA detected 24 firearms before travelers boarded planes. 21 of them were loaded. Overall, the numbers are up from last year. 18 firearms, 16 of which were loaded, were detected and then seized by local law enforcement from Boston Logan in 2023.

Airports reporting the most gun seizures were Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta (440); Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (390); and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (272).

Firearms Discovered at TSA Checkpoints in 2024. Image via the Transportation Security Administration.

Firearms are never allowed in carry-on bags, regardless of whether a passenger has a concealed weapon permit issued under local or state laws, which vary greatly across the United States.

Passengers may travel with unloaded firearms, but only if they are in a locked, hard-sided container in checked baggage, according to TSA rules. They also must declare the firearm and ammunition when checking the bag.

Other restrictions apply, and the TSA reminds gun owners the container the firearm was purchased in may not adequately secure the gun in checked baggage.