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Last weekend, a pair of scissors went missing from a store near a boarding gate at a Japanese airport, causing 36 flights to be canceled and 201 flights to be delayed.
Security checks at the domestic terminal of Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport were suspended for about two hours on Saturday morning, temporarily stranding hundreds of passengers.
There was severe congestion and queues as passengers in the departure lounge were forced to go through security checks again.
Authorities attempted to locate the missing scissors and found them at the same store the next day. Although the scissors were not found on Saturday, the day they disappeared, security checks and flights were eventually restored that day.
Hokkaido Airports, the operator of New Chitose Airport, announced on Monday that the scissors were found by a store staff member on Sunday.
The authorities explained that they would not release the news until they confirmed that the scissors were the same as the lost one.
Many of the passengers affected by the cancellations and delays were flying home after Japan’s annual Obon festival.
“I think we have no choice (but to wait),” one tourist told local media at the time. “But I do wish they would be a little more cautious about this.”
Another traveler said: “There’s so much to worry about lately… it’s endless. I won’t feel safe until I get home.”
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has asked Hokkaido Airports Corporation to investigate the cause and prevent such incidents from happening again.
Hokkaido Airport said: “We recognize that this accident was caused by an inadequate storage and management system at the store. We realize that this is also an incident that may be related to hijacking or terrorism, and we will once again work to ensure thorough management awareness.”
X Social media users praised the airport’s response to the incident, with many saying it reaffirmed their faith in Japan’s aviation safety.
One user wrote: “This incident proves the safety of Japan Airlines and the perfection of its manual!”
Another netizen said, “This once again makes me realize that New Chitose Airport is a safe airport.”
New Chitose Airport is one of Japan’s busiest airports, serving the world’s second-largest domestic route – between Tokyo and Sapporo, according to aviation analytics firm OAG.
In 2022, more than 15 million passengers used the airport. (BBC News)
Posts Japan cancels flights due to missing scissors First appeared in Daily News.
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