Indian passengers stranded at Kuwait airport for 13 hours complain of poor treatment

Over 50 Indian passengers on a Mumbai-to-Manchester flight, stranded at Kuwait International Airport for several hours on Dec 1, claimed they were not provided food, accommodation, or basic assistance during their prolonged wait.

A mechanical issue caused Gulf Air flight GF 005 to be diverted, resulting in a delay of about 13 hours.

One of the stranded travelers, Arzoo Singh, said that due to their lack of a transit visa, they could not leave the airport, while holders of US and UK passports were allowed to leave since they could obtain a visa upon arrival.

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait intervened after the situation worsened, with passengers turning to social media for help.

"After we raised the issue on social media, senior officials from the Indian Embassy in Kuwait reached out to the stranded passengers," said Singh.

Following negotiations, airport officials provided a facility for elderly travelers and those with young children.

"Indian embassy officials are in talks with the airline to arrange an alternate flight at the earliest," she added.

Shivansh, another passenger, also took to social media to express his frustration.

"Reading Why Bharat Matters while being 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 help. Please assist and provide us a visa so we can at least get a hotel and wait for the next flight," he posted on X.

In response, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait informed via X that Gulf Air had tentatively scheduled a flight from Kuwait to Manchester at 3:30 a.m. on Dec 2, and this information was being shared with all passengers by the embassy team at the airport.

The embassy later confirmed that two airport lounges were set up for passengers, and embassy officials were present at the airport to assist travelers and coordinate with the airline.

"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 that if you're entitled to a transit visa, only then can we put you in a hotel outside," said Singh.

"We asked them what about us, those who are not 'entitled,' as you say? They said they would get back to us. We chased them for nearly two hours; only after that did we get lounge access. We asked for blankets, food, and water. They didn’t provide anything. No one even gave us water for the first four hours," She added.