After a record-breaking 13 guns were intercepted at the Daytona Beach International Airport in 2023, numbers for the first half of 2024 show a decrease not only for the local airports but also statewide.
According to a press release from the Transportation Security Administration, just two guns have been intercepted at the Daytona Beach airport so far. This time last year, the TSA had intercepted nine guns.
The decrease is also reflected statewide with 382 intercepted guns reported in the first six months of 2024. By July of last year, 396 had been intercepted.
Last year's numbers:Record number of guns intercepted at U.S. airports. How many were caught in Daytona?
“Statewide in 2024, TSA screened approximately 60.9 million departing travelers at Florida airports, an increase of more than 7.5% over the 2023 total,” according to the TSA press release. “Nationwide, a firearm was detected for every 135,560 passengers screened. In Florida, the rate was lower with one firearm discovered for every 159,318 passengers screened.”
Orlando International Airport, which topped the statewide list last year with a total of 164 guns intercepted, has seen 70 firearms intercepted in the first six months of 2024 — one more than for the same period last year.
Miami International Airport reported 30 guns intercepted by July 2023. However, this year’s numbers have more than doubled with 62 interceptions reported so far.
Two other busy Florida airports have seen a decrease in numbers in the first six months: Tampa International with 51 (67 by July 2023) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with 50 (70 by July 2023).
The 13 guns intercepted in 2023 is the highest number seen at the Daytona International Airport.
Since 2013, the number of intercepted guns has been:
- 2013: One.
- 2014: Five.
- 2015: Three.
- 2016: Six.
- 2017: Six.
- 2018: Six.
- 2019: Five.
- 2020: Three.
- 2021: Six.
- 2022: Nine.
- 2023: 13.
TSA: Check local laws before traveling with guns
As a general rule, if you are traveling with a firearm, it needs to be safely stored in your checked luggage. But even that may not always be the case, according to the TSA.
“Be sure you know exactly what the firearm laws are on each side of your trip or you may be heading to jail instead of to your vacation or business trip,” according to TSA spokesperson Sari Koshetz. “Firearms may not be legal to transport even in checked baggage in some jurisdictions.”
So what do you have to know before traveling with a gun? A few TSA tips include:
- Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only. Firearm parts, including firearm frames and receivers, are prohibited in all carry-on baggage and must also be placed in checked baggage.
- All firearms, ammunition and parts in checked baggage must be declared at the airline ticket counter during the check-in process.
- Replica firearms may be transported in checked baggage only.
- Travelers are encouraged to check regulations related to carrying firearms where they are traveling to and from, as laws may vary by destination.
- Rifle scopes are permitted in carry-on and checked bags.
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