New Delhi: A Gulf Air flight travelling from Mumbai to Manchester, which was diverted to Kuwait due to a technical issue, has finally taken off after a delay of over 24 hours. The flight, which was carrying around 60 Indian passengers among others, departed from Kuwait International Airport at 4.34am on Monday.
The Gulf Air flight GF5 had originally departed from Bahrain at 2.05am on December 1, en route to Manchester. However, a technical fault forced the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to make an emergency landing in Kuwait at 4.01am local time. This caused distress to passengers, especially Indian nationals, who were left stranded at the airport.
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
Indian passengers faced additional challenges
While other foreign nationals were eligible for Kuwait’s visa-on-arrival facility and could leave the airport, Indian passengers faced additional challenges. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, taking place in Kuwait at the time, meant the airport hotel was unavailable. The Indian embassy in Kuwait assisted the stranded passengers, arranging for them to be accommodated in airport lounges.
However, many passengers claimed they were treated unfairly compared to those holding passports from the European Union, the UK, and the US, who were provided with accommodation. Arzoo Singh, one of the stranded passengers, while talking to NDTV said that airport authorities told them they could only be provided with accommodation if they were eligible for a transit visa, a privilege not extended to passengers holding passports from South Asian countries.
Indian embassy in Kuwait comes to passengers rescue
The Indian embassy in Kuwait confirmed that its team had been at the airport to help passengers and coordinate with the airline. They also explained that Indian nationals do not qualify for Kuwait’s visa-on-arrival facility. Due to the ongoing GCC summit, government offices, including the airport hotel, were closed, further complicating the situation.
Gulf Air has not yet commented on the incident.
