36 flights cancelled in Japan due to pair of missing scissors

A pair of scissors that went missing in a store located close to the boarding gates at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport in Japan have caused 36 flight cancellations and another 201 delays. The incident, which took place on Saturday, 17 August, eventually ended well and the scissors were located the next day.

When a store clerk reported a pair of scissors went missing at the domestic terminal, all security checks were cancelled for two hours starting around 10:00 am. Normally, retail outlets at the airport are required to keep their scissors in a locker. Store clerks can open the locker in case they need to cut something but afterwards, the scissors have to be returned to the locker. On Saturday, this process was apparently not followed.

Because of the missing scissors, hundreds of travellers found themselves stranded at the airport and many of those in the departure lounge were obliged to retake reinforced security checks following the incident. The timing was particularly difficult given that many travellers were returning home after Japan’s annual Obon holiday, a traditional Japanese festival which celebrates deceased ancestors.

However, after a few hours, flights finally resumed. The scissors ended up being found on Sunday at the same store they went missing from a day earlier. The airport, however, only shared that news on Monday, once it was established with certainty that the scissors found were indeed the same as those that went missing.

“We recognise that this occurred as a result of insufficient storage and management systems at the store,” Hokkaido Airport said in a statement. “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.”

Despite the delays, many social media users outed their confidence in the Japanese air safety afterwards, complimenting its thoroughness. Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport is home to the world’s second-most travelled domestic air route, operating between Tokyo and Sapporo. In 2022, over 15 million travellers passed through the airport.