New Zealand’s Queenstown Airport closed as suspected bomb found

New Zealand’s Queenstown Airport has been cleared to reopen after it was closed for several hours on Friday while authorities investigated a suspected bomb.

The Defence Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit has advised that it is safe for operations to resume, Queenstown Airport said in a statement. “We are asking the public to remain clear of the airport until we confirm the terminal is open and the police cordon is removed,” it said.

Earlier, flights into and out of Queenstown were suspended and the airport was cleared in response to a report “of what appears to be an explosive device,” New Zealand police said. 

Queenstown, ringed by snow-capped mountains and home to ski fields, golf courses and vineyards, is a popular tourist destination in the south of the New Zealand’s South Island.