TSA officers continue to stop firearms at Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Local Press Release

Thursday, May 2, 2024

RALEIGH, N.C.- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have stopped 33 firearms from being carried onto airplanes at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) during the first four months of 2024. The increase in passenger volume this year has played a part in the increase of firearm detections, and this summer TSA is expecting a record breaking number of travelers at RDU and around the nation.

When TSA officers at RDU see the image of a firearm on an X-ray screen, they immediately notify Raleigh-Durham International Airport police, who respond to the security checkpoint. A law enforcement officer removes the firearm from the X-ray tunnel and makes contact with the traveler. What happens to the firearm and the traveler is up to the discretion of RDU police. In 2024 during security screening at RDU checkpoints, 32 of the 33 firearms detected by TSA were found to be loaded by RDU Airport law enforcement officers.

"For the safety of the traveling public, I strongly urge all gun owners to double check the contents of their carry-on bags and ensure they know where their firearms are before traveling to the airport," said Jennifer Gordon, TSA's Federal Security Director at RDU.

TSA officers detected a total of 76 firearms at RDU security checkpoints in 2023.

TSA Security Checkpoint Firearm Detections at RDU as of April 30 each year (2021 - 2024):

CODE	AIRPORT	2024	2023	2022	2021
RDU	Raleigh-Durham International	33	27	24	29

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded gun into a checkpoint is $3,000 and can go as high as $15,000 depending on any mitigating circumstances.

This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.