Staff at Vilnius airport have constructed a giant Easter egg using objects that were not allowed onboard. The installation, which is about one and a half metres high, consists of more than 1,000 knives, scissors, lighters, shaving blades and other items that pose a danger during the flight, Lithuanian Airports said.
Algirdas Venzlauskas, shift manager of the Aviation Security Department at Vilnius Airport, who created the installation, said that the idea from looking at the ever-growing number of items left behind at security checkpoints. “When these small but forbidden items accumulate in hand luggage, we dispose of them according to the rules. I had the idea that maybe we could reuse them in a practical and meaningful way. As these items are multi-coloured, they were perfect for the Easter egg, which draws the attention of passengers and thus fulfils its educational mission,” said Venzlauskas.
He spent several months constructing the egg frame and gluing various objects to it. The exhibit is now located in the departures hall of Vilnius Airport.
On average, officials find about ten scissors and eight long-bladed knives in passengers’ hand luggage every day at Vilnius Airport alone. In March, seven gas canisters were taken from passengers and five people had bullets in their luggage.
According to Vidas Kšanas, head of the Safety and Security Department at Lithuanian Airports, prohibited items are not confiscated during the search – passengers can hand them over to accompanying friends and family members, put them in rented storage facilities or put them in their checked baggage if they are not prohibited.
