Guns Seized at Pittsburgh Airport Down From Record Levels, But Still a Problem, TSA Says

Dec. 1—Traffic is gradually returning to normal at Pittsburgh International Airport, but the number of firearms seized at the airport's checkpoints doesn't appear to be going back to pre-pandemic levels.

The Transportation Security Administration wants to keep it that way. On Wednesday, agency officials held a news conference at the airport to advise travelers on the right — and wrong — ways to fly with a gun.

As of Tuesday, 24 guns had been confiscated this year at Pittsburgh International checkpoints, down from 32 in 2021 and a record 35 in 2019. In 2020, as the pandemic crippled air travel, security agents seized just 21 firearms at airport checkpoints.

So far this year, more than 90% of the guns seized were loaded.

TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein estimated that Pittsburgh air traffic is about 70% to 75% as high as it was before the pandemic.

Nationally, TSA confiscated 5,972 guns from travelers trying to get them past 430 airport checkpoints in 2021, and that number is expected to cross the 6,000-gun threshold this year, Farbstein said.

"We expect to continue to see an uptick in people who are choosing to fly (and) we look forward to seeing travelers," Farbstein told reporters. "Most concerning for us is we're continuing to see people ... traveling with their firearms. There's a right way to travel with a firearm and a wrong way to travel with a firearm."

If a traveler wishes to bring a gun on a flight, they need to declare it by filling out an index-card-sized form with their respective airline and locking the weapon in a hard-sided case that can travel in the belly of the plane, Farbstein said.

People have not been allowed to travel with guns in carry-on luggage for decades, even before TSA was founded in 2001, she said.

"The most common excuse we hear is that someone claims that they forgot that they had their loaded gun with them," said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA's federal security director for Pittsburgh International Airport. "If you own a firearm, you should know where it is at all times. It is part of being a responsible gun owner."

"Even if a traveler has a concealed weapons permit, they are not allowed to board an airplane with the gun in carry-on luggage," Keys-Turner added. "The idea is that nobody should have access to a gun during a flight."

Those attempting to carry a gun onto a plane in carry-on luggage face potential criminal citations and stiff federal civil penalties. TSA evaluates each gun incident on a case-by-case basis.

People who violate rules regarding traveling with guns can have Trusted Traveler status of TSA Pre-Check expedited screening privileges revoked, Farbstein said. In recent years, as the problem reached its peak, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office said it also could revoke gun permits in some situations for people caught bringing guns to checkpoints.

Travelers can use the "Can I Bring?" feature on the TSA website or on the downloadable myTSA app. Travelers also can tweet or message @AskTSA if they are unsure what items are allowed through security in a carry-on bag.

Justin Vellucci is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Justin at [email protected].

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