Passenger Left Security Area Before Knife Identified

A security agent, apparently a bit slow on the draw Saturday, missed a knife in a bag at a security checkpoint... and the resultant scramble to locate it backed up international flights for more than three hours.

Security agents at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport halted and searched about 20 planes until they found the bag and knife in question. The search was sluggish, too, because agents weren't even sure if they were looking for a male or female passenger, according to the Canadian Press.

The knife in question was part of multifunctional pliers, similar to a Swiss Army Knife, said Lynne Labelle of the Montreal police.

"He didn't know he didn't have a right to have this," she said.

The tool was noticed in the passenger's backpack after it passed through the X-ray scanner, but after the he'd already left the security area.

"There was a delay (after) . . .  they saw the knife and so the man had the chance to leave," Labelle said.

It is unknown what caused such a delay and it's unlikely the passenger will face any charges, she said.

"This is another case where passengers who are not aware can cause huge, huge disruptions...," said Anna-Karina Tabunar of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, the agency responsible for training airport security personnel.

"The lesson to be learned out of this, and the message to other passengers is, to really be aware of what you can and cannot bring onboard with you, because even something as innocuous and innocent as a Swiss Army Knife, which is a prohibited item, can create enormous delays and headaches. If there's any doubt at all, then measures like this have to be taken," she said.

Flights were allowed to resume around 9 pm.

FMI: www.admtl.com, www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca