Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday arrested an airline employee who was found in possession of a loaded handgun at one of the airport's checkpoints. I mentioned the flight attendant.
The TSA said in a news release that the female flight attendant, who was not named, was in possession of a 9mm handgun, one of which was in the chamber.
When TSA officers discovered the firearm, they immediately alerted Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority (WMAA) police, who responded at the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm, and issued a citation to the woman.
TSA also informed an unnamed airline about the incident.
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TSA agents at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, intercepted a loaded 9mm handgun from a flight attendant's carry-on bag at a checkpoint. (TSA)
The woman now faces federal civil penalties for bringing a loaded firearm through a TSA checkpoint, which could result in fines of up to $15,000.
“This was a positive discovery for TSA personnel as it addressed a potential insider threat situation,'' said John Bush, TSA Federal Security Director at the airport.
“Individuals working at the airport or onboard an aircraft in a secure environment, whether as a flight crew member, working in a retail store, working for an airline, or contracted to a company doing business at the airport, may not: Bringing prohibited items into the secure side of the airport or onto the aircraft, especially firearms, is always on guard against unscrupulous employees who may pose a threat to aviation safety.
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Travelers will transit through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Although it is legal to travel with a firearm, the TSA provides details on its website about how to properly travel with a firearm. Specifically, the TSA says firearms must be unloaded, packed in a locked hard case and declared at the airline counter so they can be placed in the belly of the plane with checked baggage.
So far this year, as of November 17, 2024, TSA officers have seized 36 firearms at checkpoints at Reagan National Airport.
Last year, officers seized 39 firearms at airport TSA checkpoints, compared to 29 the year before.
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TSA said bringing a firearm into an airport is subject to federal civil penalties because TSA has the right to impose civil penalties on travelers found in possession of guns or gun parts at checkpoints.
Civil penalties for such actions can reach thousands of dollars in some circumstances.
