A ski boot warmer caused a stir at Queenstown airport (New Zealand): employees checking luggage found the object suspicious and ordered an evacuation from the airport. A police unit was even flown by helicopter to Queenstown to remove the suspected explosives.
The ski boot warmer was discovered on Friday during a check at the airport. It was in a bag next to a laptop and had wires attached to it, news site Stuff reported. “Airline security staff conducted a detailed inspection and determined there was serious cause for concern,” said Glen Sowry, the airport’s general manager. Police then shared the recording with the New Zealand Defense Force, who also considered the object suspicious.
An immediate evacuation of the airport and emergency measures were ordered. An explosive ordnance disposal unit was even flown by helicopter from Christchurch to Queenstown. This finally cleared everything up: it was just a rechargeable ski boot warmer. These are used to keep the feet warm and dry in shoes.
Flights postponed or cancelled
About 25 flights were postponed or canceled due to the incident, the report said. About 250 passengers were provided with food and drinks in a building near the airport. The airport was reopened after a few hours. The staff has now apologized to all those affected. Additional flights will now operate over the weekend to get people to their destinations.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
