The unnamed man, in his 60s, had been enjoying a week’s holiday in the Middle Eastern country but was refused permission to board an EasyJet flight to London last night a fellow passenger told Express.co.uk.
The passenger witnessed the man, who was travelling with his wife, fail four out of five swab tests on his clothing and luggage.
Passenger Paul Hahn said authorities spoke to the pilot after finding no explosives but the man was not allowed to board the flight to London Gatwick.
Mr Hahn had been part of the holidaymaker’s tour group, travelling around Jordan and visiting world famous landmarks including the ancient city of Petra.
Mr Hahn, who had got to know the passenger over the course of their holiday together, described him as a “nice fellow” was shocked to see the man fail the tests.
He said: “He seemed like a really nice fellow.
“He was a typical middle class Englishman about 60-years-old.”
Mr Hahn said security at the airport in Aqaba, a coastal city of 150,000 people in the south of Jordan, was “touchy” because of its proximity to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
He added: “My hand luggage was swabbed and they were picking people out at random.
“Security was very touchy, being near the Israeli border.
“Last we saw he was disappearing with officials.”
The four-hour flight from Aqaba, a coastal city of 150,000 people in the south of Jordan, was delayed for more than one hour although it is unclear if the security scare caused the hold up.
It had been due to depart at 5.25pm local time but did not arrive at London Gatwick until 10.40pm, more than one hour late.
Fleetway Travel organised the seven night £499 tour which took in the Jordanian capital Amman, the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum and Petra, made famous by the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade film.
The city of Aqaba was depicted in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia and is well known as a peaceful port town which plays a key part in Jordan’s tourism industry.
EasyJet, Fleetway Travel and the Foreign Office have all been approached for comment.