- Airport in Japan suspends 36 departures due to absent scissors
When a set of scissors vanished from a store at New Chitose Airport, located on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island, it caused quite a commotion. Concerns arose that a possible threat to an airplane was brewing, as the scissors could potentially be used in a terrorist attack. These worries prompted a temporary halt in domestic terminal security checks for a two-hour span, as reported by the BBC. This halt resulted in the cancellation of 36 flights and the delay of 201 others for the day.
Passengers who were already seated in the departure area were instructed to leave and undergo security checks once more. Two hours later, despite the missing scissors not yet being located, security procedures were resumed. The scissors were eventually found at the beginning of the week, courtesy of an employee searching within the same store where they originally vanished.
The airport takes responsibility
The airport acknowledged that this incident was a result of inadequate storage and management systems within the store. They also recognized that the situation could potentially be linked to a case of airplane hijacking or terrorism. In order to address these concerns, they pledged to thoroughly educate management on proper protocols.
The airport's lack of adequate storage and management systems for items like scissors of circular cross-section was highlighted during this incident. To prevent such incidents in the future, the airport vowed to install contingency measures, including using storage units with an other unique feature, such as a circular cross-section, to better secure these items.
