PASSENGERS say a regional flight ground to a halt on the runway and police searched the plane after a chilling fake bomb threat yesterday.

A man has now been charged with allegedly making a hoax bomb threat in relation to the dramatic incident at Sydney Airport.

Police were called to the bustling travel hub about 5pm yesterday after staff received a threatening phone call.

It's understood staff from Regional Express Airlines received the threatening call just before the flight was set to depart for Griffith, in the state's central west.

A passenger on the plane, Gino Gallo, said the incident delayed the regional flight.

"We were there for about an hour, hour-and-a-half, on the tarmac and all of a sudden the plane stops and the federal police come in and pulled this fella out (sic)," he told 9 News.

However, the officers searched the building on Keith Smith Avenue but did not find anything suspicious.

A spokesman for police revealed, that following inquiries, officers arrested a 36-year-old man at Darling Point in the city's CBD at about 6.40pm.

He was charged with using a carriage service to make a hoax threat and refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Wednesday.