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Chattanoogan Stuart Barnes showed up at Lovell Field on Thursday to see for himself the federally approved way for fliers to travel with firearms.
"I didn't know what the provisions were exactly," he said after a demonstration by a Transportation Security Administration official.
Chattanooga Airport set a record last year for the number of guns discovered in passenger bags at the security checkpoint, said Mark Howell, a TSA regional spokesman.
He said 10 guns were found at the checkpoint last year, which was double the number in 2013. Nine of the guns uncovered last year were loaded, Howell said. So far, there have been two guns discovered this year, the spokesman said.
He said there were more than 2,200 such instances nationwide, noting that "about 99.9 percent" of people didn't know the gun was packed or forgot about it.
A big reason is what Howell termed a "culture of rushing" by people who travel. Also, he cited family members who pack bags for fliers and don't know TSA regulations.
In addition, there are more people traveling than in the past, and an increase in those carrying firearms, Howell said.
Howell said a firearm should be in its own locked, hard-sided case and declared by the traveler at the ticket counter. Guns should never be taken to the checkpoint, Howell said.
Mark Howell, public affairs spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, demonstrates the proper way to fly with a firearm while at the Chattanooga Airport on April 16, 2015.He said the gun owner will be given a card or form at the ticket counter to fill out, asked to open the case to show the firearm and then re-lock it. He suggested a key or combination lock. Howell said the gun should be unloaded, and ammunition must be in a magazine or in a box.
"You don't want it rolling around," he said.
Airline personnel will take the passenger's case and store it with other checked baggage.
"If it's not packed the proper way, they'll not be able to travel [with it]," the TSA spokesman said.
The hard-sided cases can be purchased at sporting goods stores, he said, and ought to have a business card or personal identification taped to the outside.
He also recommended the flier have his or her gun license and carry permit.
Airport Chief Executive Terry Hart said there are a lot of outdoor enthusiasts in the Chattanooga area.
"It's great TSA is proactive and reminding customers what they can or cannot do," he said.
Howell said travelers also should ask how to pick up the gun after they arrive at their destination, with personnel at airports sometimes bringing it out to the passenger.
If a gun shows up on an X-ray at the checkpoint, an alarm will go off and police summoned, he said.
"In 80 percent of the cases, the firearm is loaded," Howell said.
Police determine whether to make an arrest or even if the person will continue to travel that day, he said. Howell said TSA can impose a civil penalty of $7,500 for improper attempts to transport a gun on an airplane.
Whether or not a firearm is confiscated is up to local police, Howell said.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.