Air travel has become a major hassle for millions of passengers.
Ridiculous security procedures, high costs, and continual delays and cancellations have made air travel less than desirable.
But dozens of flights were canceled at this major international airport for one bizarre reason that had passengers red with rage.
Where are the scissors?
36 flights were canceled and 201 flights were delayed at a Japanese airport for a bizarre reason.
The flight cancellations and delays were the result of a pair of scissors going missing in a store near the boarding gate.
Security checks at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport domestic terminal were shut down for almost two hours, leaving hundreds of travelers temporarily stranded in the busy airport.
The delay caused massive lines as passengers in the departure lounge were all forced to undergo a second round of security checks.
And to make matters worse, after authorities tried to locate the missing scissors, they were eventually found at the very same store the following day.
Although the scissors weren’t located on the day they went missing, security checks and flights eventually resumed that day.
Hokkaido Airport, the operator of New Chitose Airport, announced two days later that the scissors had been found by a worker at the store after the flights were canceled and delayed.
Authorities explained that they held off on making the announcement until they had confirmed that the scissors found were the same ones that had been lost.
Many of the travelers affected by the cancellations and delays were flying home after Japan’s annual Bon holiday.
“I don’t think we have any choice,” one traveler told local media at the time. “But I do hope they are a bit more careful about it.”
“I don’t feel safe until I get home”
Another traveler told media outlets that there are “so many things to worry about these days, it never ends. And I don’t feel safe until I get home.”
But it’s unlikely that anyone was worried about a missing pair of scissors messing up their travel plans.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism has asked Hokkaido Airports to investigate the cause of the missing scissors and to work to prevent such an occurrence 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.”
Surprisingly, even with the disrupted travel, social media users on X praised the airport’s response to the incident.
Several even said 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 realize once again that New Chitose Airport is a safe airport to use.”
According to the aviation analytics company OAG, New Chitose is one of Japan’s busiest airports and is the world’s second-most traveled domestic air route between Tokyo and Sapporo.
In 2022, more than 15 million travelers used the airport.
And there could be even more in 2024 now that the scissors have been found.
Renewed Right will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.