Displaying items by tag: travel

It's not a big problem here, but TSA officials are reminding travelers that firearms are not allowed through airport checkpoints. Period.

"The bottom line is TSA doesn't want to infringe on anyone's rights to take a firearm with them when they travel," said regional spokesperson Mark Howell. "We just want to make sure it's done in the safest way possible and that it's inaccessible in the aircraft, so it's in a checked bag underneath the aircraft." 

Howell said not only is it a safety issue to travel with a firearm inside an airport checkpoint, but travelers can add some pretty serious delays when getting screened -- even to the point where TSA officials are forced to close off a checkpoint lane.

"The first thing we do is hit an alarm. Our law enforcement partners will actually come and take the firearm and the person out of the checkpoint area," said Howell. "The reason they do that is it's a safety thing. About 80 percent of the firearms we find in the checkpoint are loaded." 

TSA at @CAKairport reminding travelers to leave firearms in checked baggage. A quick how-to: pic.twitter.com/aivz2tmfEM

— Amani Abraham (@AmaniAbraham) May 5, 2016

Howell said there has been about a 25 percent increase, nationwide, of firearms coming through airport checkpoints, but it hasn't been a big problem in Northeast Ohio. So far this year, only one person has tried to travel through the Akron-Canton Airport TSA checkpoint with a firearm and four people at Cleveland Hopkins Airport.

People can still travel with firearms, but it has to be part of checked baggage and travelers must fill out a declaration form and follow TSA policy.

Click here for more information on traveling with a firearm.