Kuwait City: Around 60 Indian passengers were stranded at Kuwait International Airport for more than 13 hours on Sunday, December 1, after their Gulf Air flight GF 005 from Mumbai to Manchester was diverted following an engine fire incident.
The flight was abruptly halted mid-journey, with passengers only being informed 20 minutes before their arrival in Kuwait.
Passengers complained of facing discomfort as the airline failed to provide food, accommodation, or basic assistance on social media platforms.
A video widely circulated on social media platforms showed Gulf Air flight passengers arguing with airport authorities.
In a post on X, the stranded passengers accused Gulf Air of harassment and claimed that the airline only offered accommodation to travelers from the European Union, the UK, and the US.
Watch the videos here
“Reading WHY BHARAT MATTERS while getting stuck in Kuwait without any help. All British Passport holders got their hotels sorted with On-arrival visa while #IndianPassport holders have been left stranded without any info, food, or any kind of help,” one of the X user wrote.
The Indian Embassy in Kuwait coordinated with Kuwait Airport officials to quickly organise hotel accommodations for stranded passengers, including elderly and children.
“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 do not fall under visa on arrival facility in Kuwait. All government offices are closed today due to GCC Summit being hosted by Kuwait,” it said.
The embassy also said that the airline has scheduled a 3:30 am flight from Kuwait to Manchester for stranded passengers on Monday, December 2. It stated that food and water has been arranged for the stranded passengers at the lounges.
Gulf Air has yet to publish a statement regarding the incident.
