France, July 26 -- French authorities are trying to establish whether a group of young French citizens were removed from a plane bound for Paris from Spain this week because they are Jewish. The airline, Vueling, has denied the claims.

Several dozen French passengers on Wednesday were kicked off a flight leaving the Spanish city of Valencia for Paris, for what Spanish police and the airline Vueling described as unruly behaviour.

France's ministry for Europe and foreign affairs said in a statement on Saturday that the minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, contacted the CEO of Vueling, Carolina Martinoli, to express his deep concern "about the removal of a group of young French Jews from one of the company's flights".

It came after the lawyer for ...