Nadine Osman

Two Muslim men were ordered off a plane in Adnan Menderes Airport in İzmir, Turkey, and made to go back through security after passengers complained that they were “making gestures” to each other.

The Manchester-bound flight was delayed by 90 minutes on May 10, as the unnamed men were hauled off the Thomas Cook plane and taken back to the terminal to re-do security checks. Two female passengers told cabin crew that they saw the men “skipping security scanners” and signalling to each other while on the plane.

When they were eventually given the all clear they were allowed back on the flight. However, their accusers refused to fly with them and chose to return to the terminal. Fellow passengers described the incident as “an embarrassment”.

One, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Two innocent Muslim men were marched off the plane and searched as two English ladies refused to fly with them on the plane. The result was a delay for everyone and the men flew, while the women were left behind.”

A spokesman for Thomas Cook Airlines, said: “Two customers on this flight were asked to go through security a second time as a precaution after unverified concerns were raised that the initial airport security check had missed them out. We’d like to thank these two customers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience.”