KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Transportation Security Agency released state-level data Wednesday showing the number of firearms discoveries in 2024 at commercial airports in Kansas and Missouri was relatively flat.
Across Missouri’s eight airports, a total of 192 firearms were discovered last year, representing a 9.4% decrease from 2023.
Kansas City International Airport reported the highest number of firearms discovered in 2024 with 88, roughly flat compared to the 89 firearms discovered in 2023.
The decrease in firearms discoveries across the state came even as the number of passengers screened — 14.05 million — was nearly 5% higher over 2023.
In Kansas, TSA officials discovered 18 firearms among passengers at Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, a five-year high. Officials discovered 15 firearms at the airport in 2023.
When a TSA X-ray identifies a firearm on a passenger during the security screening process, TSA notifies the local law enforcement agency, which interacts with the passenger and determines what — if any — action to take involving the firearm.
Information on traveling with a firearm is available on TSA’s website.
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