Pilot slams 'act of total #racism' after ' #Arabic-looking' men got off flight from Birmingham because passengers claimed they looked like #TERRORISTS - TheSun

TWO MEN took themselves off a flight at Birmingham airport after fellow fliers suspected them of being terrorists.

The passengers who have been described as 'Arabic looking' decided to leave the Monarch Airlines plane which was flying to Rome last Sunday after other travellers thought they looked “suspicious”.

Police were called to carry out an extra security check and the 5:30pm flight was delayed by 90 minutes before the men decided to delay their journey until Monday in what has been described as "an act of total racism”.

Passenger Marsha De Salvatore, who is an American stand-up comedian living in Rome, told The Local she witnessed the “sad reality of racism”.

She said: “It was crazy. Not only was the plane delayed but I witnessed the sad reality of racism as these men were escorted off a boarded plane because others suspected them to be terrorists.

“The pilot told us: ‘What happened today was an act of total racism’.”

De Salvatore explained that a separate British couple, who were queuing in front of her to board the plane, became agitated and “voluntary offloaded themselves” from the flight.

She said: “The husband was anxious and kept saying to his wife: ‘I’m not getting on the plane’.

“I thought perhaps he had a fear of flying.

“But just as they were about to hand over their boarding pass, they stepped out of the queue.”

The American passenger then said the police were called to carry out extra security checks.