Gulf Air passengers suffer ordeal after flight diverted to Kuwait

Indian passengers on Gulf Air Flight GF005 from Bahrain to Manchester had to suffer a 13-hour ordeal at Kuwait Airport on 1 December after the plane made an emergency landing there following a fire in one of the engines. Indian passengers had earlier arrived in Bahrain from Mumbai to take the connection flight to Manchester

Passengers from South Asia, including children, women and the elderly, complained that while their co-passengers from the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union were provided hotel accommodation, they were left stranded for hours at the airport transit area without food, water, or any humanitarian help from the airline officials.

The authorities explained the apparent discrimination by citing that only passengers entitled for a transit visa on arrival could be accommodated in a hotel outside the airport. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit conference that was held on Sunday meant that the airport hotel was fully booked.

Following intervention by the Indian Embassy in Kuwait with Gulf Air authorities, the passengers were finally afforded access to transit lounges.