Rome's Ciampino airport was closed today after an anonymous caller warned there was a bomb on board a Ryanair plane.
The company said in a statement that the caller indicated there was a bomb on one of four Ryanair planes based at Rome.
Security staff check a Ryanair jet at Ciampino airport, Rome today
Two of the planes were being boarded at that time and the passengers had to be evacuated from the terminal until the all-clear almost three hours later.
The threat proved to be a hoax that left hundreds of passengers stranded at Rome's second airport.
"This extensive delay meant that Ryanair's first wave of four flights from Rome Ciampino Airport this morning and three return flights were cancelled," Ryanair said, adding that it was trying to arrange alternative travel arrangements.
The alert came just hours before an Italian military plane carrying the Olympic flame for the forthcoming Turin Winter Games was due to land at Ciampino.
The Olympic flame arrived from Greece on schedule at around 9am (Irish time) this morning ahead of a two-month long journey around Italy before the Turin Games which open on February 10th.