Over the weekend, 36 flights were canceled and 201 were delayed at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport due to the disappearance of a pair of scissors from a store near the boarding gates.
On Saturday morning, security checks at the airport’s domestic terminal were halted for about two hours, causing significant congestion and long queues as travelers were required to go through security again.
Efforts were made to locate the missing scissors, which were eventually found at the store the following day. Although security checks and flight operations resumed later on Saturday, the scissors were not immediately located.
Hokkaido Airport, the operator of New Chitose, confirmed on Monday that a worker had found the scissors on Sunday. They withheld the announcement until they could verify that the recovered scissors were indeed the missing ones.
The disruptions impacted many travelers returning home after Japan’s annual Bon holiday.
“I don’t think we have any choice (but to wait),” one traveller told local media at the time. “But I do hope they are bit more careful about it.”
Another traveller said there were “So many things to worry about these days… it never ends. And I don’t feel safe until I get home.”
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has asked Hokkaido Airports to investigate the cause and prevent it from happening again.
“We recognise that this occurred as a result of insufficient storage and management systems at the store,” Hokkaido Airport said. “We are aware that this is also an incident that could be linked to hijacking or terrorism, and will once again work to ensure thorough management awareness.”
Social media users on X praised the airport’s response to the incident, with several saying it reaffirmed their confidence in Japanese air safety.
“This incident showcased the safety of Japanese aviation and the thoroughness of its manuals!” one user wrote.
Another said it “made me realise once again that New Chitose Airport is a safe airport to use.”
New Chitose is one of Japan’s busiest airports, serving the world’s second-most travelled domestic air route – between Tokyo and Sapporo – according to aviation analytics company OAG.
More than 15 million travellers used the airport in 2022.
