Two deer closed both runways at a major airport.
Four flights had to be diverted and three planes were forced to re-land.
The wayward animals entered the airport grounds at around 10 am yesterday (6 Mar).
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The airport authorities immediately closed both runways to ensure passenger safety.
Footage showed the deer running between several jets on the tarmac.
Airport workers eventually drove the animals off the grounds by about 11 am.
Normal operations were then able to resume at the New Chitose Airport, near Sapporo, Japan.
The airport authorities confirmed that seven flights were affected, as reported by Need To Know.
There were also some minor delays to outgoing flights.
One passenger, a man in his 40s from Chiba, said: “An announcement was made on the plane that a deer had entered the airport, and the plane had to land twice.
“Things seemed calm on board, but it was a bit inconvenient with limited access to the toilets.
“I think this is something that is unique to Hokkaido Island.”
Another passenger, a woman in her 60s from Tokyo, said: “I thought the plane was going to land, but then it suddenly took off again, and I wondered what had happened.
“Then they said an animal had got onto the runway, so we kept circling in the sky for about an hour.
“But everyone seemed calm.
“It’s just a natural occurrence so I guess there’s nothing we can do about it.”
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