TABLE 1-1-8 - Prohibited Items Intercepted at Airport Screening Checkpoints: 2002-2008
TABLE 1-1-8 - Prohibited Items Intercepted at Airport Screening Checkpoints: 2002-2008
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total prohibited items | 3,775,345 | 6,114,612 | 7,089,599 | 15,887,596 | 13,711,759 | 6,516,022 | 972,810 |
| Total firearms and incendiaries | 80,268 | 494,806 | 694,299 | 401,047 | 115,775 | 91,039 | 117,102 |
| Firearms | 927 | 683 | 650 | 2,217 | 2,075 | 1,416 | 902 |
| Incendiaries | 79,341 | 494,123 | 693,649 | 398,830 | 113,700 | 89,623 | 116,200 |
| Knivesa | 1,036,697 | 1,961,849 | 2,058,652 | 1,822,752 | 1,607,125 | 1,056,687 | 626,182 |
| Box cuttersa | 32,788 | 20,991 | 22,350 | 21,315 | 15,999 | 11,908 | 6,284 |
| Other cutting instrumentsa | 1,846,207 | 2,973,413 | 3,567,731 | 3,276,691 | 163,419 | 101,387 | 59,459 |
| Clubs and batsa | 11,131 | 25,139 | 28,813 | 20,531 | 12,296 | 9,443 | 6,447 |
| Othera | 768,254 | 638,414 | 717,754 | 10,345,260 | 11,797,145 | 5,245,558 | 157,336 |
a 2008 consists of data up to Aug. 8, 2008 with the exception of Firearms and Incendiaries. TSA has stopped the collection of data on all prohibited items except for Firearms and Incendiaries as of Aug. 8, 2008.
NOTES: 2002 data are April through December.
The large increase in 2005 and decrease in 2007 was primarily due to the prohibition of lighters on board from April 2005 to August 2007. Fluctuations in counts may be attributed to changes in definitions and regulations governing prohibited items.
Other cutting instruments include scissors, hatchets, swords, sabers, meat cleavers, ice axes, and picks. Effective Dec. 22, 2005, scissors less than 4 inches and tools less than 7 inches were no longer prohibited.
Knives include any length and type except round-bladed, butter, and plastic cutlery.
Clubs includes martial arts items, baseball bats, night sticks, hammers, pool cues, and billy clubs.
Firearms includes any weapon (including a starter gun) that is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive, as well as spear guns, BB guns, flare pistols, compressed air guns, and stunning devices.
Other refers to tools, self-defense items, compressed gas cylinders, bleach, lighters, and certain sporting goods. Lighters (except for torch lighters and micro torches) were removed from the prohibited items list effective Aug. 4, 2007.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Office of Transportation Security Policy, personal communication, October 2009 as reported in U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 2-16b, available at http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/ as of January 2010.