Boston-bound American Airlines flight from Washington delayed amid terrorism fears

An American Airlines plane bound for Boston from Washington DC was evacuated amid terrorism fears. US radio talk show host Laura Ingraham tweeted as two male passengers were removed from the flight because the crew believed they were behaving suspiciously.

The American Airlines Flight 2124 was scheduled to depart from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when the plane's crew expressed concerns about the two passengers, WCVB reported. All passengers were evacuated from the plane and the aircraft was swept by a K-9 unit, which did not detect any threat on the plane.

According to WCVB, 115 passengers boarded the flight again enroute to Boston. The Boston Herald reported that the flight was originally scheduled to depart the Washington airport at 3.30pm EST and was delayed for approximately two hours. Ingraham tweeted that the two men were "Middle Eastern."

The author tweeted: "Update in AA flt 2124 from Boston to Wash — passenger still waiting. Lots of police coming on and off plane." She continued: "Passengers reboarding AA flt 2124. The two Middle Eastern-looking men were in their 20s, green passports, led away by police." According to Ingraham, neither of the two men "protested being removed".

Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority spokesman Christopher M Paolino said that the two passengers who were removed were questioned by police and later released. American Airlines stated the two men would be accommodated on a later flight.

Fears over terrorist attacks in the US and abroad have intensified after the deadly Paris attacks on 13 November. The attack, which was claimed by Islamic State (IS), left 129 dead and 352 injured. Following French President François Hollande's promise to destroy the terrorist organisation, France dropped 20 bombs on IS's de-facto capital of Raqqa, Syria.