Japanese Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport canceled 36 flights and delayed 201 others after a pair of scissors went missing.
The scissors disappeared from a store near the boarding gates, leading to the suspension of security checks for two hours on Saturday morning.
The flights resumed later the day, but the scissors were not found by authorities that day.
Scissors Were Found
The missing item was eventually discovered the following day at the same store from which it had gone missing.
Authorities waited to confirm that these were the same scissors before making an official announcement on Monday.
The Japanese public praised the security measures and the airport’s thorough response.
Authorities Were Concerned About Terrorist Threat
Hokkaido Airport, the operator of New Chitose Airport, said that the security alert and the delays were necessary to avoid terrorism incidents.
“We are aware that this is also an incident that could be linked to hijacking or terrorism,” the airport said.
