By ARIEL DAVID

ROME

Travelers faced long lines, delays and cancellations at Italian airports on Tuesday, a day after a wildcat strike by some Alitalia workers forced the carrier to scrap dozens of flights. Some disputes became so heated that police had to intervene.

Lines at Alitalia check-in counters at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport stretched for 200 feet as the terminal struggled with a backlog of hundreds of passengers who spent the night on the floor or in chairs after their flights were canceled due to Monday's strike.

Some angry travelers threatened ground personnel, and police came in to calm them down.

Alitalia said a total of 124 flights were canceled among all its operations Tuesday as a result of the wildcat strike a day earlier as well as because of a work-to-the-rules job action, which pilots have been waging. The airline predicted some 50 flights would have to be scratched on Wednesday.

Many of Tuesday's cancellations came in Rome's main airport and at Milan's Linate airport.

Adding to the transport mayhem, Italy's civil aviation authority said Ciampino, Rome's second-largest airport and a low-cost hub, would remain closed until Tuesday evening as workers removed a Ryanair plane that made a hard emergency landing Monday after hitting a flock of birds.

The plane damaged its left landing gear and came to a stop leaning on its left wing. Two crew members and four passengers suffered minor injuries but all were treated and released from hospital, Ryanair said Tuesday.

Some 200 Alitalia flight attendants and pilots staged a surprise protest on Monday, blocking the crew entrance at Leonardo da Vinci.

Dozens of Alitalia flights were canceled across the country in Monday's chaos.

The protesters, who oppose a plan to salvage the bankrupt carrier by cutting routes and jobs, were ordered back to work Monday night by Italy's transport minister.