Mehary Yemane-Tesfagiorgis, a 34-year-old Londoner of Eritrean heritage, has told broadcasters how he was escorted off an EasyJet flight by armed police because another passenger "didn't feel safe" while he was on board.
He told ITV News that cabin crew had asked, "Is there a passenger with the last name of Yemane-Tesfagiorgis on board?"
He replied "yes" and was asked to come to the front of the cabin where armed police were waiting for him.
After being questioned by airline staff he was taken to Rome airport's police station, where he said he was "subjected to further questioning and intimidation by the Italian authorities before being left to sit in the airport for a further 15 or so hours".
In a statement, a spokesperson for EasyJet said: "EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY5258 from Rome Fiumicino to London Gatwick on 29 March 2016 was delayed due to the police requesting that additional security checks were undertaken before departure.
"Mr Yemane-Tesfagiorgis was questioned by the authorities as a result of another passenger reporting concerns about his behaviour.
"The safety and security of its passengers and crew is our highest priority and airlines have to take any security-related concerns seriously.
"EasyJet rebooked Mr Yemane-Tesfagiorgis on the next flight from Rome to Gatwick after the authorities confirmed they were satisfied he could travel."
Yemane-Tesfagiorgis has said that he is now seeking legal advice.
Yemane-Tesfagiorgis is apparenty the third passenger to be escorted off an EasyJet flight in recent weeks. Yesterday The Guardian reported that a passenger was asked to leave an EasyJet flight from Pisa to London because another person on board complained of "suspicious behaviour".
In February a British man, Laolu Opebiyi, 40, a Nigerian-born Christian from London, was removed from a plane by armed police at Luton airport because a fellow passenger had seen a message on his mobile phone about "prayer". He said he had been trying to arrange a conference call prayer with his friends using WhatsApp, and had been forced into handing over his phone and password in order to prove his innocence.