60 Indians Stranded at Kuwait Airport for 13 Hours After Gulf Air Flight Diversion

New Delhi: Around 60 Indian passengers were stranded at Kuwait International Airport for over 13 hours on Sunday after their Gulf Air flight was diverted there due to a technical issue.

Passengers on Gulf Air flight GF 005 from Mumbai to Manchester expressed discomfort, as the airline did not provide food, accommodation, or basic assistance during their long wait.

The situation intensified as passengers took to social media to express their complaints, leading to a response from the Indian Embassy in Kuwait.

Arzoo Singh, a stranded passenger traveling from Mumbai to Manchester, expressed her frustration to a news agency about the dire situation. "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," she said.

Singh explained that, after discussions with airport authorities, senior citizens and passengers travelling with infants would be accommodated at a facility inside the airport. However, she added, there was no clear information about how the rest of the passengers would be treated.

Singh went on to explain that they were unable to leave the airport since they did not have a transit visa, whereas UK and US passport holders were allowed to exit due to the availability of a transit visa on arrival. "Indian embassy officials are in talks with the airline to arrange an alternate flight at the earliest," she noted, adding that the situation remained unresolved for many passengers.

The flight had been diverted to Kuwait after a technical issue, causing significant delays and distress for the passengers on board.

Another passenger, Shivansh, who was also on the flight, took to social media to express his frustration.

"Reading Why Bharat Matters while getting stuck in Kuwait without any help. 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," he said in a post on X.

In response, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait shared on X, "Embassy has been informed by Gulf Air that the flight for stranded passengers from Kuwait to Manchester is tentatively scheduled at 3.30 am on 2 Dec. 

This is being conveyed to all passengers by the Embassy team at the airport."

(with agency inputs)