Dramatic images and footage from the Ryanair aircraft, which was preparing to depart Stansted for Pisa, captured the moment the pair were removed from the cabin.
The flight, from Stansted, was delayed by around an hour and a half to allow for disinfection, the BBC reports, while the two passengers were taken to an isolation area at the airport.
Ryanair said both passengers had complied with its health policies and worn masks at all times at Stansted, adding the was "little if any risk" of Covid transmission as a result of the incident.
Stansted said the pair were placed in contact with Public Health England, which oversaw their onward journey.
Department for Health guidance states anyone who seeks a coronavirus test, or is awaiting results, should remain at home and self-isolate until the result is confirmed.
