White powder scare at Christchurch Airport

A quarantine area has been lifted at Christchurch Airport after white powder on baggage was deemed to be "innocuous".

At 11.44am police were advised white powder was found on some bags on an Air New Zealand A320 plane while it was being offloaded at Christchurch Airport.

Passengers were taken off the aircraft as a precaution, cordons were put in place and the Army bomb disposal unit was scrambled to the airport. Shortly after 12.30pm however, specialists determined the powder posed no threat, police said.

A quarantine area at the domestic terminal has been disestablished and all emergency services have been stood down.

- Brendan Manning of APNZ

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