Grenades found at checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – As we’ve officially reached the summer solstice, that means travel will begin to pick up with vacations and other plans, but once again the Transportation Security Administration is reminding travelers what they can and cannot travel with. 

For two travelers on Wednesday, they found out that grenades are not allowed on planes. 

According to Lisa Farbstein, the TSA Northeast spokesperson on X (Formerly Twitter), an inert grenade and a smoke grenade were both intercepted at the checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport. 

“Most people plan on having a blast on their trip, but this guy wasn’t thinking along those lines when [TSA] officers intercepted this grenade at [Pittsburgh International Airport] checkpoint yesterday,” Farbstein posted to X. “Fortunately, it was inert, however grenades, live or inert, are not allowed on planes.” 

Not much later, TSA agents intercepted a smoke grenade at the checkpoint. 

“Holy smokes,” Farbstein posted on social media. “The [TSA] team at [Pittsburgh International Airport] intercepted this smoke grenade in a traveler’s carry-on bag yesterday. Had it been triggered, thick yellow smoke would have been everywhere. Yellow is just not a good look. And besides, you know that there’s no smoking on a plane!”

The grenade interceptions come as TSA has confiscated 15 loaded guns at Pittsburgh International Airport as of May 21.

It also comes after a record-setting year both locally and nationally in 2023 when officers intercepted 44 guns in Pittsburgh and 6,737 nationwide. 

Travelers can always consult the TSA website on how to properly store items that they are not permitted to have in their carry-on bags.