10 Firearms Found at Chattanooga Airport This Year

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — Since the department’s inception in 2001, the TSA has come to look out for a litany of prohibited items in passengers’ carry-on bags.

But one set of prohibited items they’ve been discovering more and more is firearms.

“Here in Chattanooga metro we had a total of 24 guns, last year. And that was as we were starting to crawl back up after the pandemic. So, 24 last year; we’re up to ten so far this year,” said Mark Howell, TSA Regional Spokesperson.

The TSA strictly prohibits caring firearms in the cabin of any commercial airplane.

And accidentally carrying one through a security checkpoint can be costly.

“If you do it the wrong way, you bring it to a security checkpoint, you’re subject to a civil penalty by the TSA of upwards of $13,900. You’re also potentially going to get a citation or be arrested by local law enforcement,” Howell said.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a firearm with you when you travel.

The TSA has a set of publicly available guidelines for transporting a firearm on an aircraft.

“To properly travel with a firearm, you need to have a hard-sided case with padding. The firearm needs to be completely unloaded. Any ammunition needs to be stored separately, inside the box and not rolling around on the inside. And you need to declare that firearm with the airline that you’re flying with,” Howell added.

Firearms are declared with paper tags that go on your case, and they can be obtained at the check-in desk