Unidentified white powder delays Austrian flight

An Austrian Airlines flight to New York was delayed and passengers put on a different plane after an unidentified white powder was found on board, an airline spokeswoman said yesterday.

Shortly before passengers boarded the 1040 GMT flight yesterday, staff found about a teaspoonful of unidentified white powder on a seat, Austrian Airlines spokeswoman Livia Dandrea told Reuters.

"The substance has been taken for analysis," she said. "The results are not yet known but preliminary tests have shown that it was not a narcotic."

Passengers were put on another aircraft that took off around six hours late, Dandrea said.

Austrian newspaper Die Presse said in its Saturday edition that the plane was evacuated following a terror alert. Dandrea denied the report.

"No terror alert was raised," Dandrea told Reuters. No passengers had boarded the plane when the powder was found, she added.

A Vienna airport official confirmed there had been no terror alert.

Die Presse said the powder was found in a baby's cot. Dandrea said the powder was found on a seat in the row where cots are placed.