Flights cancelled in Japan after scissors go missing
Over the weekend, a seemingly minor incident at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport caused significant disruption, leading to the cancellation of 36 flights and delays for 201 others.
The incident occurred on Saturday morning when a pair of scissors went missing from a store located near the boarding gates, prompting airport authorities to take swift action, according to BBC.
Security checks at the domestic terminal were immediately suspended for approximately two hours as authorities launched an intensive search for the missing scissors.
This sudden halt in operations left hundreds of travelers stranded and caused significant congestion as passengers in the departure lounge were required to retake security checks. The airport, one of Japan’s busiest, saw substantial bottlenecks and long queues during this period.
Despite the best efforts of airport personnel, the scissors were not located on Saturday. However, after a thorough search, the missing item was discovered at the same store the following day.
Hokkaido Airport, the operator of New Chitose Airport, announced on Monday that a store worker had found the scissors on Sunday. Authorities delayed making the announcement until they could confirm that these were indeed the missing scissors.
The timing of the incident was particularly unfortunate, as many of the affected travelers were returning home after Japan’s annual Bon holiday, a period marked by high travel volumes.
In response to the disruption, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism has called on Hokkaido Airports to investigate the cause of the incident and take measures to prevent a recurrence.
In a statement, Hokkaido Airport acknowledged the situation as a result of “insufficient storage and management systems at the store” and emphasized the seriousness of the matter, noting its potential implications for hijacking or terrorism. The operator pledged to strengthen its management protocols to ensure such incidents do not happen again.
