Airports often close for security reasons, such as bomb threats, unattended baggage, VIP visits, etc.
However, on Saturday morning, New Chitose Airport (CTS) in Hokkaido, Japan, was closed due to a particular security threat: a missing pair of scissors.
The incident
On Saturday, August 17, 2024, at around 9:30 a.m. local time, a pair of scissors was noticed missing from a retail store in the airport area (behind security).
The store employees immediately reported the missing scissors to airport officials, who, after consulting with the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism, surprisingly decided to stop security checks and flight operations at 10:20 a.m.
All passengers already in the airport had to leave the terminal and go through security again. Despite this, the scissors were never found and airport officials decided to resume operations and reopen the terminal.
As the airport was closed for just over two hours and did not reopen until shortly after 12:20 p.m., departing and arriving aircraft experienced delays. Some arriving aircraft had to be diverted to other destinations as the CTS remained closed.
In total, the airport reported 190 flight delays and 35 cancellations. The delayed flights came at an inconvenient time for passengers traveling home after the Bon holiday.
Most passengers were able to continue on to their final destination after the airport reopened. However, some unfortunate passengers were stranded overnight before being able to fly the next morning. The airport provided sleeping bags and mats to the affected passengers.
How did an airport end up being closed because of a missing pair of scissors?
It remains unclear why airport authorities decided to close the entire airport because of a scissors attack. Normally, such drastic measures are reserved for only the most serious security threats.
Many questions remain unanswered, such as why there was even a single pair of scissors lying around in the airport shop. Sharp objects are usually strictly regulated in airports, and airport restaurants do not even provide their customers with metal knives.
In addition, many are wondering why the lack of scissors was a big enough problem to close the airport, but not so big that the airport had to remain closed for more than two hours.
What do you think about this strange situation? Let us know in the comments!
