A SWEDISH airport was partially evacuated 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 at Skavsta Airport in Stockholm were evacuated, delaying three flights by up to four hours while police and a bomb squad investigated the suspicious bag on Sunday, 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 co-operated with police, Mr Lindholm said, but he couldn’t provide more details.

An investigation was expected to “take some time,” he added.

Skavsta Airport, located approximately 96km from Sweden’s capital city, is the fifth largest in the country and handles 2.5 million passengers a year.

Police later said no explosive traces had been found and Skavsta airport was reopened later on Sunday.