A co-pilot for Southwest Airlines was arrested at Albany International Airport in upstate New York on Monday after he allegedly attempted to carry a loaded handgun through security onto his flight to Chicago-Midway Airport.
The unnamed first officer tried to transport a .380 caliber handgun containing six bullets through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, where agents made the discovery in his carry-on bag, according to a statement from the federal agency. The X-ray machine first alerted agents to the metal object.
The suspect was detained while local police were called to the scene. The co-pilot was arrested on a weapons charge and faces up to a $12,000 charge.
“This incident highlights the importance of what TSA and its dedicated security officers do each and every day in protecting the flying public,” TSA’s Upstate New York Federal Security Director Bart R. Johnson said in a statement.
Although the co-pilot was arrested, the flight to Chicago was delayed four hours.
Each state determines its own firearms policies for air travel. Federal policy for states that do allow travelers and airline employees to carry a gun mandates the item be unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline.
