Delta passenger boards plane with a gun. TSA says government shutdown not to blame

Jan 14, 2019

By Herb Scribner

The Transportation Security Administration said Sunday that an armed passenger boarded an international Delta flight traveling from Atlanta to Tokyo, according to multiple reports.

The agency said the government shutdown had nothing to do with the error, according to The Washington Post.

“TSA has determined standard procedures were not followed and a passenger did in fact pass through a standard screening TSA checkpoint with a firearm,” the agency told The Washington Post. “TSA has held those responsible appropriately accountable.”

Delta said the passenger boarded the flight back on Jan. 2. He reported the firearm to officials and cooperated with authorities, The Washington Post reports.

He met with authorities in Japan after the plane landed.

Bigger picture: The story comes as airports face a number of TSA agents calling out sick because of the government shutdown, according to CNN.

“But TSA strongly denied any connection, saying the percentage of callouts on Wednesday, Jan. 2 was 5 percent, the same percentage who called out a year prior on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018,” The Washington Post reports.

By the numbers: More than 51,000 TSA members have been working without pay since the government shutdown began, Bloomberg reports.

David P. Pekoske, the TSA administrator, said TSA agents will likely receive a $500 bonus when they return to work on Tuesday for all the work they did during the holidays, according to Fox News.