Hawaii’s largest airport had to shut down several gates on Saturday after a passenger’s luggage was found to contain maggots.
The incident happened at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, where a traveler checked in two bags that were infested with the larvae of flies.
According to Hawaii News Now, the maggots were discovered by a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent who noticed a foul odor and movement inside one of the bags.
The agent opened the bag and found hundreds of maggots crawling on clothes and other items. The second bag also contained maggots.
The TSA notified the airline, which then contacted the passenger. The passenger told the airline that the bags contained food items that he had forgotten to remove.
The airline decided to dispose of the bags and their contents, and offered to reimburse the passenger for the loss.
The airport closed four gates near the baggage screening area as a precautionary measure, and sanitized the area with bleach and disinfectant.
No flights were delayed or canceled due to the incident, and no other passengers were affected.
The airport reopened the gates after about two hours.
The TSA said that maggots are not a prohibited item, but advised travelers to check their luggage for any food items that could attract pests.
