TSA spokesperson Jessica Maylesays the state’s largest airport saw an unfortunate increase in a dangerous category this past year.
“Across the country overall we saw fewer handguns, but unfortunately here in Iowa we did see more this year than last year,” she says. “We saw 16 at Des Moines International Airport detected at the checkpoint and that is an all-time high for the airport.” The Eastern Iowa airport in Cedar Rapids did see a drop to three guns at the checkpoint, and Waterloo had none, so the state overall number was up six.
Mayle says the overall Iowa total is not a lot compared to larger cities, but she says one gun is too many. She says it is something that can be prevented. “Overwhelming people say ‘oh my gosh I forgot, I didn’t mean to do that I forgot that gun was in my bag,’ they just aren’t thinking that the rules are different at airports,” Mayle says.
Mayle says your excuse doesn’t matter if they find the gun in your bag as you check in. “Whatever your intentions, even if it is a careless mistake or if it’s nefarious, the consequences are the same. It’s incredibly dangerous to introduce a firearm, usually loaded into a crowded checkpoint environment, and we call local law enforcement every time,” Mayle says. “So it’s definitely going to disrupt your day, disrupt your trip, and it’s an expensive mistake, too, because you’ll get a fine from the TSA.”
Mayle says the advice is the same for all travelers, start with an empty bag and pack what you need so there are no surprises. “Sometimes what we’ll see is people, you know, they took a bag to the range and they just weren’t thinking, and maybe they took the firearm out but there’s loose ammunition or something in the bottom, and that can also trigger an alarm and give you a civil penalty, so just make sure you know where your gun is at all times,” she says.
The scanning technology has improved to let TSA officers see inside the bags better and detect forbidden items like guns quicker. Mayle says this should be a comfort to all travelers. “I think that’s another take away from this for people who maybe aren’t gun owners who don’t know how this affects them, I would just say, I hope it makes you feel very safe, because our officers are very good, our technology is very good, and we are detecting these weapons and keeping them off airplanes,” she says.
The 19 guns found at airport checkpoints in Iowa was still below the 22 found back in 2022. Six of the guns were found at the Cedar Rapids airport, one in Waterloo, and the rest in Des Moines. You can take an unloaded gun on a flight if it is in a check back.
Go to the TSA website to find out more about what you can and cannot carry onto the airplane.