Rome's Ciampino airport was briefly closed yesterday after an anonymous caller warned there was a bomb on board a plane operated by low cost airliner Ryanair, police said.

The bomb threat proved a false alarm and left hundreds of passengers stranded at Rome's second airport.

The shutdown came just hours before an Italian military plane carrying the Olympic flame for the forthcoming Turin Winter Games was due to land at Ciampino.

Ryanair said in a statement the anonymous caller indicated there was a bomb on one of four Ryanair planes based at Rome. 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.

"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 Olympic flame arrived from Greece on schedule at around 10 a.m. ahead of a two-month long journey around Italy ahead of the Turin Games which open on February 10.