An airport in Japan witnessed major chaos after 36 flights were cancelled and 200 delayed after a pair of scissors went missing in a store near the boarding gates.

Security checks at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport domestic terminal were halted for about two hours on Saturday morning, leaving hundreds of travellers temporarily stranded.

Long lines and significant delays occurred as passengers in the departure lounge were required to go through security checks again.

Authorities were searching for a pair of missing scissors, which were eventually found at the same store the following day.

Although the scissors were not found on Saturday, the day they went missing, security checks and flights resumed later that day.

Hokkaido Airport, the operator of New Chitose Airport, announced on Monday that a worker at the store had found the scissors on Sunday.

Authorities delayed the announcement until they confirmed that the scissors were indeed the missing ones.

Many of the affected travellers were returning home after Japan’s annual Bon holiday, reports BBC.

“I don’t think we have any choice (but to wait),” one traveller told local media at the time. “But I do hope they are bit more careful about it.”

Another traveller said: “So many things to worry about these days… it never ends. And I don’t feel safe until I get home.”

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has asked Hokkaido Airports to investigate the cause and prevent it from happening again.

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

They added: “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.”