Atlanta Airport Number 1 for Guns Seized at Checkpoints in First Half of 2024

The increase comes as air traffic hits record levels nationwide.

The number of people screened at the country’s airports in the first half of the year increased by 7.3% compared to 2023 levels. In Georgia, the number of travelers grew even faster, up 11.2% year-on-year.

However, Georgia’s gun detection rate from January to June was more than twice the national rate. According to the TSA, one gun was detected for every 65,828 passengers in Georgia, compared to one for every 135,560 passengers nationally.

The number of firearms detected at Georgia airports stands at 249, with Hartsfield-Jackson Airport accounting for the bulk of passenger traffic and firearm detections.

Nationwide, 3,269 firearms were detected at airport security checkpoints in the first half of this year, more than 94 percent of which were loaded.

Firearms and ammunition are prohibited in airline carry-on baggage. Passengers may travel with an unloaded firearm if it is properly packed in a hard-shell, locked case in their checked baggage and declared prior to the flight at the airline’s check-in counter.

When a weapon is detected at an airport checkpoint, the TSA alerts Atlanta police to come to the checkpoint.

Individuals caught with weapons at airport checkpoints also face civil fines of up to $15,000. The TSA also says those caught may lose their eligibility for the TSA PreCheck Trusted Traveler program for up to five years.

Earlier this year, Maj. Kelley Collier, commander of the Atlanta Police Department’s airport, said people caught with loaded and drawn guns would be charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor.