Atlanta airport ranked No. 1 in country for guns caught at checkpoints, TSA says
Travelers stand in a long line for security screening at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 28, 2024 in Atlanta. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - The world's busiest airport is also the world's worst airport for firearms.
New data from the Transportation Security Administration shows that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport led the country with the highest number of firearms discovered at security checkpoints for 2024 so far.
According to the data, TSA agents have found 222 guns at the Atlanta airport security checkpoints. That's 89% of all the guns detected in Georgia's airports this year and nearly 6.8% of all firearms discovered nationwide.
The number of guns is slightly higher than the same time period in 2023 - which saw 214 firearms. However, the number of passengers passing through the Atlanta airport has jumped by more than 1.5 million since the year before.
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"Nationwide, a firearm was detected for every 135,560 passengers screened. In Georgia, the rate was more than twice the national with one firearm discovered for every 65,828 passengers screened," a report from the TSA reads.
TSA agents have screened more than 443 million travelers and found 3,269 firearms this year. That's 19 a day on average.
"The safety and security of each person who passes through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is our first and most important priority," a spokesman for the airport said. "Our Atlanta-based TSA officers are vigilant in detecting weapons or other contraband that could compromise that safety. These numbers underscore the robust due diligence the TSA and Atlanta Police engage in daily to keep our airport safe."
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Firearms can be transported on commercial airplanes, but they need to be unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case, and put in a checked bag. Travelers also need to go to the airline ticket counter and declare any firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts.
Replica firearms also need to be transported in checked luggage.
You can learn more about the TSA's rules on firearms here.