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Table 2-16a: Airlinea Passenger Screening Results by Type of Weapons Detected, Persons Arrested, and Bomb Threats Received

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  1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Persons screened (millions) 585 993 1,145 1,015 1,111 1,150 1,261 1,263 1,497 1,660 1,667 1,767 1,812 U
TOTAL firearms detected 1,914 2,913 2,549 1,644 2,608 2,798 2,994 2,390 2,155 2,067 1,515 1,552 1,937 U
Firearms, handguns 1,878 2,823 2,490 1,597 2,503 2,707 2,860 2,230 1,999 1,905 1,401 1,421 1,643 U
Firearms, long guns 36 90 59 47 105 91 134 160 156 162 114 131 294 U
Other / other dangerous articlesb 108 74 304 275 N N N N N N N N N N
Explosive / incendiary devices 8 12 15 94 167 251 N N N N N N N N
Persons arrested                            
Carrying firearms / explosives 1,031 1,310 1,336 893 1,282 1,354 1,433 1,194 999 924 660 633 600 U
Giving false information 32 42 18 28 13 31 35 68 131 72 86 58 61 U
Bomb threats received                            
Against airports 1,179 477 448 498 188 304 250 346 N N N N N N
Against aircraft 268 153 338 388 215 248 218 327 N N N N N N

KEY: N = data do not exist; U = unavailable.

a Includes operators with a U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration operating certificate engaged in scheduled passenger or public charter passenger operations and airports at which these operations are conducted.

b In 1980 and 1985, the "other" category was included with firearms; in 1990, "other" became "other dangerous articles."

NOTES

Beginning in 1996, the Office of Civil Aviation Security Policy and Planning stopped keeping records of bomb threats received due to inconsistent reporting. The reporting of other / other dangerous articles was discontinued in 1992 and reporting of explosive / incendiary devices was discontinued in 1994 for the same reasons.

SOURCES

Persons screened, type of weapon detected, and persons arrested:

1980-85: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Semiannual Report to Congress on the Effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Security Program, July 1-December 31, 1985 (Washington, DC: May 1986).

1990-2000: Ibid. Office of Civil Aviation Security Policy and Planning, Annual Report to Congress on Civil Aviation Security (Washington, DC: Annual issues), and personal communications, May 27, 1999, Mar. 29, 2000, and Aug. 7, 2001.

Bomb threats received:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation (Washington, DC: Annual issues).