In a recent press release the Asheville Regional Airport says that anyone found with a firearm at the checkpoint will be criminally cited in addition to possible civil penalties. This is a change from previous policy and should be noted by anyone going to the Asheville Airport. TSA Administrator David Pekoske said that nearly 88% of firearms found at airport checkpoints across the country were loaded. In 2022, AVL saw an all-time high for number of firearms at the checkpoint, with 26 guns discovered at security screening, a 100% increase over the previous record year in 2019. So far in 2023, the airport is on pace to see another increase.
Anyone who brings a gun to Asheville’s airport will be charged with carrying a concealed weapon, according to the press release. In North Carolina, that charge starts as a misdemeanor but can turn into a felony with repeat offenses.
