Chaos at Auckland Airport after passenger 'takes knife through security'

Passengers at Auckland Airport were given a scare on Tuesday evening after a woman was stopped by security officers for allegedly carrying a knife through security.

The woman had been located with the weapon by police and Aviation Security officers, but no arrests were made, Stuff.co.nz reports.

The security breach caused significant delays at the international terminal, with many passengers taking to social media to post images of long lines and confused travellers at screening checkpoints.

“Kiwi travellers very relaxed in the face of massive delays after a security breach at Auckland Airport,” Melbourne-based musician James Kenyon tweeted, claiming someone had remarked: ‘Someone’s pole-vaulted the x-ray.’

Another Twitter user, Calin Florek, said passengers were confused by what was happening as no announcement had been made by authorities to clarify what was causing screening delays.

Ms Florek later Tweeted: “Cheering in the airport – security screenings are resuming!” with the hashtag #aucklandairportmystery.

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Auckland Airport tweeted that passenger screening had resumed but “it will take some time to clear the backlog.”

No further details have been released on the identity of the woman allegedly carrying the knife.