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Two forced out of flight from Spain to U.K.

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: In a glimpse into what the future might hold for Asian or Arab-looking air travellers in Europe in the wake of new security fears, two men variously described as of ``Asian'' or ``Middle Eastern'' appearance were forced off a United Kingdom-bound flight from Spain after fellow passengers refused to fly alleging that the two may be terrorists.

Some passengers reportedly ``stormed out'' of the Monarch Airlines flight from Malaga to Manchester after word spread that the men had been seen behaving ``suspiciously'' while boarding the plane. They were reportedly wearing ``leather jackets'' and ``sweaters'' despite the heat and frequently ``glanced'' at their watches.

As the protests grew, airport police escorted the two men out of the plane and were questioned for several hours. The plane, which was delayed for three hours, left without them.

Monarch Airlines confirmed the incident, which took place on Wednesday amid heightened security fears following the discovery of an alleged plot to blow up American planes recently.

``There were two passengers on the flight who came to the attention of the other people because they were apparently acting suspiciously. The flight attendants were sufficiently concerned to alert the crew who in turn informed the security authorities at Malaga airport,'' the BBC reported an airline spokesman as saying.

It said no details of the two men's ``suspicious'' behaviour were revealed.

The incident, first reported in The Mail on Sunday, came as a controversy raged over a proposal to introduce ``racial profiling'' of passengers at airports.

Asians, especially Muslims groups, said the move was aimed at ``targeting'' them and said the security screening should be ``intelligence-led'' and not based on appearance of a passenger.

Conservative Homeland Security spokesman Patrick Mercer described the incident as ``a victory for terrorists."

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