Armed passenger boards international flight, TSA says shutdown not to blame for error

An armed passenger cleared airport security in Atlanta on January 2 and boarded an international flight in an oversight the Transportation Security Administration says shouldn't be blamed on the government shutdown.

After the flight landed in Tokyo, the passenger was met by Japanese authorities. The passenger was cooperative and reported the firearm, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Over 51,000 TSA employees have been working without pay since the federal government partially shut down on December 22, Bloomberg reports.

Staffing issues were not the reason for the error, the TSA said in a statement, adding that the "TSA has held those responsible appropriately accountable.”

President Trump and congressional Democrats have yet to reach an agreement that would end the partial shutdown.