Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Table 2-16 . 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
Persons screened (millions) 585 993 1,145 1,015 1,111 1,150 1,261 1,263 1,497 1,660 1,903 1,754
Type of weapon detected                        
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
Long guns 36 90 59 47 105 91 134 160 156 162 114 131
Total 1,914 2,913 2,843 1,644 2,608 2,798 2,994 2,390 2,155 2,067 1,515 1,552
Other/other dangerous articlesb 108 74 304 275 N N N N N N N N
Explosive/incendiary devices 8 12 15 94 167 251 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
Giving false information 32 42 18 28 13 31 35 68 131 72 86 58
Bomb threats received                        
Against airports 1,179 477 448 498 188 304 250 346 N U U U
Against aircraft 268 153 338 388 215 248 218 327 N U U U

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."

KEY: N = data do not exist; U = data are not available.

SOURCES:
Persons screened 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).
1990-99: 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 and Mar. 29, 2000.
Bomb threats received: Ibid., Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation (Washington, DC: Annual issues)