Suspicious package shutters New Zealand airport

New Zealand's police on Sunday closed an airport in the city of Dunedin in the south-eastern part of the country after reports of a suspicious package.

Local police have confirmed in a statement that Dunedin Airport is closed after a suspicious package was found on the airfield, report global media quoting Otago Daily Times.

"Dunedin Airport is currently closed" a statement said. "Police are at the scene and specialist teams have been deployed to determine the nature of the package."

Sources said the terminal building of the airport had not been evacuated until writing the report.

Only a handful of flights were due to arrive at the airport in the south-eastern city, as the scare came in the late evening.

According to tracker Flightaware, Air New Zealand flight 691 from Wellington had been circling over the city for almost an hour before being forced to return to its origin.

The New Zealand Transport Agency reported State Highway 86, the main road leading to the airport, had been closed. 

New Zealand is currently on a state of high alert after a gunman, who is believed to have lived in Dunedin, killed 50 people in two mosques filled with worshippers. 

The terrorist, identified as Brenton Harrison Tarrant (28), opened fire on worshippers during Friday prayers at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch.