Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport screeners discovering more guns in carry-on luggage

There is a jump in the number of guns being found in carry-on luggage at Kentucky airports, according to the Transporation Security Administration.

Officers found 43 guns in carry-on luggage at security checkpoints at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2021. That's a 29% increase over 2020 and a 30% increase over 2019.

It is permitted to transport a firearm on a flight, but only unloaded and locked in a case in checked baggage. Passengers can be fined up to $13,900 for attempting to bring a gun onto a flight in a carry-on.

"At the airport during the check-in process, a passenger needs to go to the airline ticket counter to declare the firearm, ammunition and any firearm parts," the agency said. "TSA also recommends travelers check with their airline prior to their flight to ensure they comply with any airline-specific requirements."

Nationally, there was an 83% increase in the number of firearms found in carry-on luggage comparing this year to 2020 and a 34% increase compared to 2019, according to TSA data.

Kentucky airports together, including CVG, account for a disproportionate amount of these guns, officials said.

"Nationwide, a firearm was detected for every 97,999 passengers screened," the agency said. "In Kentucky, the rate was more than double the national rate with one firearm discovered for every 47,512 passengers screened."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: TSA: CVG screeners finding more guns in carry-on luggage