Suspicious powder delays flights at Swedish airport

HELSINKI — Skavsta Airport in southeastern Sweden was partially evacuated Sunday and flights were delayed for several hours when suspicious powder was found after a passenger had checked in luggage, airport officials said.

The check-in area and baggage hall of the departure terminal were evacuated, delaying three flights by up to four hours while police and a bomb squad investigated the suspicious bag, airport spokesman Joakim Lindholm said. The terminal was reopened and services returned to normal after the bag had been moved to a safe area.

The suspect bag belonged to “an elderly lady,” who had cooperated with police, Lindholm said, but he couldn’t provide more details. An investigation was expected to “take some time,” he added.

Arriving flights weren’t affected by the incident but some of Sunday’s seven remaining European departures might see short delays, Lindholm said.

Last year, the airport which serves European destinations, served around 1.7 million passengers. It is located 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of the capital, Stockholm.