Passengers at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Japan experienced delays on numerous flights due to a pair of scissors going missing from a store in the departure lounge. The security checks were suspended for about two hours as a result of the missing shears, causing chaos for travelers trying to board their flights.
Following the incident, Japanese airline ANA took to social media to warn passengers about possible delays and cancellations as a result of the security checks. In total, 36 flights were canceled and 201 were delayed due to the situation. Despite efforts to locate the missing scissors, they were not found on the same day when security checks were resumed.
Passengers who had already gone through security had to repeat the process due to the missing scissors, leading to long lines and frustration among travelers. This incident occurred during a busy travel period after a Japanese holiday, adding to the challenges already faced by those trying to catch their flights.
Two days after the initial incident, the scissors were eventually found by a worker in the same store where they had gone missing. The announcement was delayed as the airport needed to confirm they were the same pair of scissors that had caused the security check suspensions.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism requested Hokkaido Airports to investigate the incident to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The airport acknowledged that the incident was a result of insufficient storage and management systems at the store and recognized the potential risk of such incidents being linked to hijacking or terrorism, committing to improving their management awareness.
Overall, the missing scissors at New Chitose Airport in Japan caused substantial disruptions to flights and passengers, highlighting the importance of proper security measures and procedures in airports to prevent such incidents from impacting travel in the future.
