While we’ve heard of airports temporarily halting operations due to security situations, this has to be one of the strangest such incidents we’ve seen…
In this post:
Hokkaido Airport closes due to lost scissors
This incident happened on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at New Chitose Airport (CTS) in Hokkaido, Japan. Shortly after 10AM local time, a store in the departures area (past security) reported that a pair of scissors had gone missing. This incident somehow sent the airport into lockdown mode.
Operations at the airport were halted, and passengers already airside had to once again clear security, to be screened for the scissors. The scissors were never found, but the airport ended up resuming operations roughly two hours later, around 12PM local time.
In total, 35 flights were canceled as a result of this incident, and 190 flights were delayed. This was an especially bad weekend for something like this to happen, given that it was a busy holiday travel period, so flights were packed.
What a strange airport security situation
Typically when we see an airport halt operations over a security concern, it’s because someone has a gun, or there’s a bomb threat, or something along those lines. In this case, I’m confused how a missing pair of scissors could cause such a drastic response.
For example, at airside restaurants, you typically won’t find any sharp knives (like steak knives) for diners, since those wouldn’t be allowed through security. Sometimes there will be knives for the chefs, but they’re tied to surfaces, so that they can’t be removed.
In this case, did a shop just have a “loose” pair of scissors for use by staff, and then the employees noticed they were missing? Or how does a pair of scissors that was allowed in the airside area to begin with cause such a situation? It’s also interesting how they just gave up after not being able to find anything for two hours. It was serious enough to shut down the airport, but not for more than two hours?
Bottom line
It was a rough weekend at New Chitose Airport in Japan, after a pair of scissors went missing from a shop. This was reported to authorities, which caused a situation where all passengers had to be screened a second time, and operations were suspended for two hours. In the end, 35 flights were canceled, and nearly 200 flights were delayed.
What do you make of this Japanese airport scissor situation?
No. There’s a j movie about this. Missing a wrench.
And how could you show a picture of KIX instead of CTS? Lol
According to Japanese media, the scissor in question seems to be pretty sharp and it needs to be chained while in use and to be secured in safe after business hour. However, it seems some staff forget to shelve it in safe and they could not find it upon opening the store. Fortunately, the scissor was found in the shop in question, according to follow-up report.
It's Japan.
We suck at risk management, we make a fuss about things that are completely innocuous, or extremely low risk, but for things that actually matter, we usually just ignore them or say "there is nothing that can be done" (shikata nai).
I mean, just last week, there was a "megaquake alert", because there was an extremely low probability that there could be an afterquake of a 7.1 earthquake in the next...
It's Japan.
We suck at risk management, we make a fuss about things that are completely innocuous, or extremely low risk, but for things that actually matter, we usually just ignore them or say "there is nothing that can be done" (shikata nai).
I mean, just last week, there was a "megaquake alert", because there was an extremely low probability that there could be an afterquake of a 7.1 earthquake in the next week felt in an area that could have a big earthquake in the next 30 years.
The alert caused people to cancel trips, cancel events, close beaches, do panic buying and all the common panic stuff.
In the end, nothing happened.
I know Japanese people who are still mortally afraid of covid-19. One person I know says she will never again leave her home without a mask again, and wears a mask at all times inside her home as well, except for during her showers (though she tries to keep them brief, to avoid risk of dying).
The problem with events like that is two fold.
First you are comparing unlike comparisons. On one hand you have a chef's knife. On the other hand you have a relatively dull pair of scissors.
The problem with things like this is when there is a real problem it gets ignored because of events like this.
Bullshit security theater doesn't get any better than this!
Ah you’re clearly someone who respects different cultures.
The timing is definitely unfortunate, at the tail end of the Obon week--and the Chitose Airport supporting Sapporo and Otaru population centers.
Given that somebody could have inadvertently taken them, left the airport by heading toward the exit, or might have already boarded a flight prior to the lock down, it wouldn't have been very productive to continue.
Maybe the scissors were safely attached with a chain or something? Very bad timing in any event as many flights were cancelled on Friday too due to the typhoon - I was booked on 4 different planes from CTS to Tokyo that got cancelled and ended up on one of the last flights for Tokyo before everything else got cancelled. Not convenient timing with the Obon holidays!
Meanwhile, some awkward guy in the airport's IT department is asking everyone, "Have you seen my stapler?"
A red stapler. ;)
Speaking of Japan, when can we expect an ANA A380 trip report?!
Japan is a pretty bureaucratic country, and people would always follow the rules even if might seem unnecessary. The good outcome of that is how well and safely the things are (if not looks like) going on in there. The bad outcome is the situation like this, which the rules are abided so strictly that it seems like it's gone a bit too far.
To the airport's defence, the decision could have been affected...
Japan is a pretty bureaucratic country, and people would always follow the rules even if might seem unnecessary. The good outcome of that is how well and safely the things are (if not looks like) going on in there. The bad outcome is the situation like this, which the rules are abided so strictly that it seems like it's gone a bit too far.
To the airport's defence, the decision could have been affected by an incident in early 2000s - there has been a hijacking incident where a man used a loophole of airport security system at Haneda Airport, to bring a knife into the aiport and then to hijack an ANA 747 heading to Sapporo. That man ended up with killing the captain with that knife, but at least the flight returned safely to Haneda. The thing is that the hijacker have warned the airport and the MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport - I believe it also has a "tourism" in its name now, making it the MLITT) a few times, but they ignored that.
99 percent chance that an employee took those scissors for something and it know saying oh shit......
and is now*
if som one has taken the scissors intentionally or unintentionally when he goes thru security channel
the metal detector will give beep sounds and it will
indicate the presence of some metals inside the bags what the security was doing why did not the security confiscate those scissors it is a mystery in one of the lufthansa flights one guy boarded LH flight without boarding pass and tkt what kind of security is there i am from airlines
Several years ago (post 9/11) I was changing jobs and had cleared out my desk, putting most items in boxes, but I placed a few in my briefcase. I thought I had emptied these items out of my briefcase, but had inadvertantly left a very, very large pair of all-metal sissors in the bottom. I went through TSA security with them three times without being detected. On my fourth trip I found them as I...
Several years ago (post 9/11) I was changing jobs and had cleared out my desk, putting most items in boxes, but I placed a few in my briefcase. I thought I had emptied these items out of my briefcase, but had inadvertantly left a very, very large pair of all-metal sissors in the bottom. I went through TSA security with them three times without being detected. On my fourth trip I found them as I was removing a full can of Coke. I quickly threw both in the trash. They were great sissors, but....