TSA gun seizures at airports were up in 2023 all across the nation. Philadelphia International Airport saw a record number of guns stopped at TSA checkpoints, writes Christopher Dornblaser for The Morning Call.

The TSA caught 45 guns at the Philadelphia Airport in 2023, up one from 44 uncovered in 2022.

In Pennsylvania 2023 saw 103 firearms detected by airport security. That’s up from 82 guns that were found in 2022.

Nationally, according to the TSA, there were 6,737 guns caught at airport security checkpoints in 2023, an increase from 6,542 in 2022.

Compare the 2023 numbers to 2008, and the difference is more than seven times what was seized 15 years ago.

The 2008 number nationwide was 926. That number has been rising steadily since then, the  TSA reports.

There are possible criminal and civil penalties if someone is caught in a TSA gun seizure.

Travelers with necessary permits can legally have firearms in checked bags if the guns are unloaded and packed in a locked, hard-side case. Ammunition must be in its original box in the hard-side case, next to the firearm, according to the TSA.

Find out what else travelers need to do if they want to bring a gun on a vacation or business trip in The Morning Call.