MONCTON -- Security is tighter at the Greater Moncton Romeo LeBlanc International Airport in New Brunswick, following two recent incidents of replica grenades being found in luggage.
The most recent incident involved a toy grenade, which halted travel and forced the bomb squad to be called in.
"So with the x-ray, they could see that there was an item in there that they had questions on, basically,” says Greater Moncton Romeo LeBlanc International Airport spokesperson, Julie Pondant. “So that's when the bomb squad got called in."
RCMP were called in, and travel was delayed for hours.
"People don’t realize the impact it has on our operations and how the whole airport, for a good part of it, came to a halt,” says Pondant.
Apparently, the toy grenade was an office decoration – which one passenger did not realize would have such a significant impact.
"That’s absolutely ridiculous,” says passenger, Elizabeth Johnson. “I can’t believe anyone would show up at an airport with anything that might resemble a weapon."
The incidents have prompted airport staff to remind everyone that there is zero-tolerance for replica weapons – and passengers agree.
"Some people say it’s harmless; it’s just a toy; it’s just a joke,” says passenger, Jason Gould. “It disrupts everybody’s lives when you go through that – unfortunately it’s not the same as it was maybe 20-30-years ago and you just never know when it's real or not real."
Passengers are being encouraged to use the Canadian Airport Transit Security app, which verifies what is and isn’t allowed on board – to avoid the seed of doubt that's now been planted at the airport at least twice.
"People are wondering if they're safe and secure here at the airport – if they’re safe flying out of the airport," says Pondant.
"Knowing what it takes to get through security, I’m very careful on how and what I pack," says Gould.
