The white powder - suspected of being anthrax - which closed the airport arrivals hall yesterday was determined to be "non-hazardous", The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Acting general manager of the Airport Mike Osborn said airport operations was informed yesterday that the thin layer of white powder found in arrivals by a duty officer was not a threat.

Shortly after receiving the call on Tuesday, emergency services initiated a Code Red alert and cordoned off the area as men in sealed hazardous materials removal suits removed the substance for analysis.

Despite the alert, which closed the terminal at about 7.30 a.m., three flights arrived from midday to 1 p.m., discharging 233 passengers. Most were out of the airport by 1.45 p.m.