Passengers travelling from Bahrain to Manchester were stranded for over 13 hours after their Gulf Air flight made an emergency landing in Kuwait, reportedly due to an engine fire.
Some passengers alleged discrimination, claiming that while holders of EU, UK, and US passports were given accommodation, Indians, Pakistanis and Southeast Asians were initially denied help, food, and water, Indian media reported.
Many of those on board began their journeys in Mumbai in India, with Bahrain as a transit stop and Manchester their final destination. The emergency landing took place roughly two hours after Gulf Air flight GF 005 took off from Bahrain, with an announcement telling the flight they would be redirected to Kuwait.
A social media video showed passengers of flight GF005 in heated arguments with airport authorities upon landing, with South Asian passengers criticising the way they were served compared to those on other passports.
The Indian embassy in Kuwait said on X on Sunday that it promptly took up the matter with Gulf Air.
Arzoo Singh, a passenger, claimed they were not allowed to leave the airport since they did not have a transit visa. She told NDTV: “They said ‘if you’re entitled passport holders, and Indians and Pakistanis are not entitled passport holders’, they literally told us if you’re entitled for a transit visa, only then we can put you in a hotel outside.
“We asked them what about us, people who aren’t ‘entitled’ as you say? They said we will get back to you. We ran behind them for nearly two hours, only then we got lounge access. We asked for blankets, we asked for food. They didn’t give. No one even gave us water for the first four hours.”
Indian PAX stuck at @KuwaitAirports
— Daanish Anand (@Daanish_Anand) December 1, 2024
since 12 hrs after Manchester bound @GulfAir flight GF005 was diverted. PAX alleged harrasment & also alleged that the airline has provied accomodation to only EU,UK & US citizens. @RamMNK @MoCA_GoI@indembkwt
Video credit: Passenger pic.twitter.com/pBcJDtUMRS
“After we raised the issue on social media, senior officials from the Indian embassy in Kuwait reached out to the Indian passengers stuck at the airport,” news agency ANI quoted Ms Singh as saying.
The embassy posted on X: “Efforts are being made to accommodate passengers in the airport hotel, which is currently unavailable due to ongoing GCC Summit. It may be noted that Indian nationals don’t fall under visa on arrival facility in Kuwait. All government offices are closed today due to GCC Summit being hosted by Kuwait.”
The 45th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit was held on 1 December.
Gulf Air flight to Manchester finally departed at 0434 hours today carrying stranded Indian passengers among others. Embassy team was on the ground till the flight departed. pic.twitter.com/47GVer4Bs4
— India in Kuwait (@indembkwt) December 2, 2024
Following their discussions, Ms Singh said, the airport authorities offered accommodation for senior citizens and passengers with infants at a facility within the premises, the Hindustan Times reported. But there was no clear information about arrangements for the remaining passengers.
Embassy @indembkwt had immediately taken up the matter with Gulf Air in Kuwait. A team from Embassy is at the airport to assist the passengers and coordinate with the airline. Passengers have been accommodated in 2 airport lounges. pic.twitter.com/1OySe3KGLc
— India in Kuwait (@indembkwt) December 1, 2024
Another passenger, Shivansh, wrote on X: “All British passport holders got their hotels sorted with on-arrival visas while Indian passport holders have been left stranded without any info, food, or any kind of help. Please help and provide us a visa so that at least we can get a hotel and wait for the next flight.”
The other passengers were eventually allowed access to airport lounges, and the flight departed for Manchester at 4.34am on Monday.
Gulf Air has not made a public statement about the complaints so far. The Independent has reached out to the airline for comment.
