Although the number of flyers at airports is only a fraction of normal levels, the rate of gun seizures has skyrocketed.
While there are about 95% fewer air travelers now, the percentage of passengers being caught with guns in bags has almost tripled.
The Transportation Security Administration reported 58 guns were seized at checkpoints from March 22 to April 22.
That compares to 346 firearms found during the same period last year.
However, when based on the number of travelers being screened, the rate of seizures is up 2.7 times from one gun for every 216,200 people last year to one in 80,000 now.
The TSA has not offered an explanation as to why the rate has spiked so much.
According to aviation security lecturer, Jeffrey Price, there could be a number of reasons.
He cites the Covid-19 pandemic may have created an ‘apocalypse mindset’ or it may just be that fewer passengers means TSA screeners have more time to screen each passenger more thoroughly.
Screeners ‘can take a lot more time with each person and their belongings,’ Price said.
That suggests dozens or possibly hundreds of firearms are being missed at airport screening during normal passenger levels.
Another aviation security expert, Sheldon Jacobson from the University of Illinois, has another theory.
He says people flying right now are not traveling for leisure reasons, and they may possible be more likely to own a firearm.
"People who are leisure flyers traveling with their families, they don’t bring guns to checkpoints," Jacobson said.
