36 canceled flights: A pair of scissors plunges the airport into chaos

Over the weekend, 36 flights were canceled and 201 flights were delayed after a pair of scissors went missing from a shop near the gates at a Japanese airport.

New Chitose Airport is a major transportation hub in Japan. It serves the world’s second most frequently used domestic air route – between Tokyo and Sapporo. So there’s always a lot going on. But last Saturday nothing worked.

Security checks at the domestic terminal were suspended for about two hours, leaving hundreds of passengers temporarily stranded, reports said.BBC». There were disruptions and queues. 36 flights were canceled and 201 flights were delayed. Reason: A missing pair of scissors.

They got lost in a shop near the gates – this could be related to kidnapping or terrorism. For security reasons, domestic flight operations were suspended and a frantic search began. for free. Eventually flights resumed.

The next day the scissors were found again in the same shop where they had been lost. An employee discovered it, Hokkaido Airport, the operator of New Chitose Airport, announced.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has asked Hokkaido Airport to investigate the cause to prevent a similar situation in the future. “We are aware that the incident occurred because the store did not have an adequate storage and management system,” the airport admitted. “Strong management awareness” will be ensured in future.