Around 60 Indian passengers on a Gulf Air flight (GF 005) from Mumbai to Manchester were stranded for over 13 hours at Kuwait International Airport on Sunday after their flight was diverted due to a technical snag. The stranded passengers alleged they were not provided with food, accommodation, or basic assistance during the long wait.
Transit Visa Complications and Unequal Treatment
According to Arzoo Singh, one of the stranded passengers, they were unable to leave the airport because they did not have transit visas. In contrast, passengers holding UK and US passports were permitted to exit the airport due to the availability of transit visas on arrival. Singh expressed frustration, saying, “I am saying this on live television. 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.”
Singh further alleged that passengers repeatedly sought assistance but received none. “We asked them what about us, people who are not ‘entitled’ as you say? They said we will get back to you. We ran behind them for nearly two hours, only after that 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,” Singh stated.
The situation escalated as stranded passengers took to social media to voice their grievances. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait intervened after being alerted to the issue. “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,” Singh said.
Following discussions, airport authorities accommodated senior citizens and passengers traveling with infants in a facility within the airport. However, there was no immediate clarity on arrangements for the remaining passengers.
Passengers Seek Urgent Assistance
Another passenger, Shivansh, also expressed frustration on social media, stating, “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.”
In response, the Indian Embassy posted updates, informing passengers that Gulf Air had tentatively scheduled a flight from Kuwait to Manchester at 3:30 a.m. on December 2. The Embassy also confirmed that its team was present at the airport to assist passengers and coordinate with the airline. It added that passengers had been accommodated in two airport lounges.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by travelers during flight disruptions and raises questions about equitable treatment for passengers from different nationalities.