RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — Millions of Americans board planes at airports across the country every day — and some try to bring their guns with them.

Over the weekend, the TSA caught two weapons going through security at the Rapid City Regional Airport. Both confiscated weapons were loaded handguns.

Each situation was immediately handled and everyone got on their flights safely.

“The officers saw an image of a handgun in the bag when it was going through the x-ray machine. So when that happens, activity on the checkpoint stops. We don’t handle weapons; we don’t arrest passengers. TSA is not a law enforcement agency, so we call the local police and they come and they take possession of the weapon,” TSA Regional Spokesperson Jessica Mayle said.

Being able to get passengers on their flights safely and without slowing down the process is a goal for the Transportation Security Administration in these situations.

“I definitely think that having the TSA there helps the security level. It gives me a level of comfort knowing that the probability of having somebody get through that really shouldn’t be on those planes will hopefully get caught early in the process before they actually get on the plane so that I think is a really good thing,” traveler Kristen Thorson said.

When it comes to traveling, everybody wants to have a safe and enjoyable time. And knowing that TSA is on top of everything, being able to make sure that you get on and off planes safely, makes those traveling feel comfortable.

TSA holds detailed and hands-on training for staff and wants the public to know they take each action seriously.

“This is a big problem nationwide; it is not unique to South Dakota by any means. We are seeing the numbers, not every airport is going up, definitely there’s some trends and some good spots around the country. But overall the trend is that the number is going up at airports across the country. A lot of people are making those mistakes,” Mayle said.

TSA recommends starting with an empty bag when packing as most cases like these tend to be from people grabbing a previously used bag in a hurry.

If you have questions or concerns on what you can and can’t bring on your next flight, click here to learn more.