Passenger Carrying Gun Passes TSA Security At Atlanta Amid Partial Government Shutdown

A passenger carrying a gun flew from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Tokyo's Narita International Airport despite clearing security screening at the Atlanta airport. The passenger informed the employees of Delta Air Lines about the gun on arrival in Japan.

The passenger cooperated with Japanese authorities. In a statement to CNN, Delta reported the incident to the Transport Security Administration after being informed of it by the customer. In a statement, TSA said it had determined standard procedures were not followed in this incident, and that a passenger passed through a standard screening TSA checkpoint with a firearm at the at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on the morning of Jan. 3. TSA said those responsible were held accountable.

This security breach happened two weeks into the ongoing partial government shutdown during which TSA agents were required to work without pay (even though they missed their first paychecks Jan. 11). TSA dismissed the allegation that the shutdown caused the security lapse and said that a normal amount of staffers worked on the day of the incident. The agency also said the percentage of call-outs on Jan. 2 was five percent, same as that called out in 2018 on the same day.

Michael Bilello, the TSA assistant administrator for public affairs said, “Security standards will not and have not been compromised.”

TSA announced it would provide a day’s pay for those who were on duty the day after the lapse in funding, and that uniformed officers will get a $500 bonus for their efforts during the holidays, to be paid by Tuesday. TSA Administrator David Pekoske also wrote, “While I realize that this is not what you are owed for your hard work…and what you deserve, I hope these actions will alleviate some of the financial hardships many of you are facing”

An earlier report by CNN noted that hundreds of TSA agents from at least four major airports had called in sick during the government shutdown.

Among the 800,000 government employees affected by the shutdown, 51,000 are TSA agents who are working without pay or have been put on unpaid leave. The Air Traffic Controllers Union, the Aviation Safety Inspectors Union and other groups, as well as air travel experts, have issued statements condemning the consequences of the shutdown. However, TSA and aviation experts said flying was still safe.

Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport was forced to close one of its terminals Sunday after TSA could not provide enough staff for the security checkpoint there. It wasn’t immediately clear when the terminal would be reopened. According to an airport statement, passengers were being directed to other ticket counters and checkpoints.

Miami International Airport also closed a terminal over the weekend as TSA screeners called in sick at twice the airport’s normal rate. The spokesman for the airport, Greg Chin, confirmed Terminal G was closed for part of Saturday and Sunday. Chin also said there wouldn’t be enough workers to handle all 11 checkpoints during normal hours over the weekend. He said if the shutdown continued, the airport would be forced to close a security checkpoint at terminals with multiple entry points.

In a statement to Bloomberg, Billelo said the agency hadn’t heard of any other airport planning to shut down an entire concourse, like the Miami Airport had done.