CHARLOTTE  – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented a North Carolina man from bringing a loaded handgun on board a plane at a Charlotte Douglas International Airport checkpoint.

The incident occurred this morning just after 8 a.m Thursday. at Checkpoint E. The man was stopped by TSA officers with a loaded .9 mm handgun.

TSA Transportation Security Officer Mardea Jones detected the firearm as the man’s carry-on bag passed along the conveyor belt in the checkpoint X-ray machine. Jones immediately contacted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which responded to the checkpoint. The passenger was questioned and arrested on a local charge of carrying a weapon on airport property.

To date, TSA officers have detected 39 firearms at CLT checkpoints this year. TSA found 54 firearms at CLT last year.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed in a hard-side case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the firearm must be taken to the airline check-in counter.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm on TSA.gov. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition so travelers should contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.

The Transportation Security Administration screens approximately 2 million passengers and their luggage every day for prohibited items, including weapons and explosives. To do this, TSA uses imaging technology to safely screen passengers for any items which may be concealed under clothing, while X-ray units screen all carry-on baggage.