Stranded In Kuwait, Gulf Air Passengers Get Last-Minute Lift To Manchester Photo: Social Media X Stranded In Kuwait, Gulf Air Passengers Get Last-Minute Lift To Manchester Photo: Social Media X

The 60 stranded Indian passengers onboard a Gulf Air flight to Manchester had left for their destination early Monday morning. 

This was confirmed by the Indian Embassy in Kuwait in a post on social media site X. 

According to the Embassy in Kuwait, the flight departed from Kuwait International Airport at 4.30 AM local time. The embassy confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter).

"Gulf Air flight to Manchester finally departed at 0434 hours today carrying stranded Indian passengers among others. The Embassy team was on the ground till the flight departed."

The flight traveling from Mumbai to Manchester, carrying around 60 Indian passengers, was diverted to Kuwait due to a technical issue.

After being stranded there for almost 13 hours, the flight finally took off from Kuwait on Monday.

According to the Indian Embassy in Kuwait, the flight departed from Kuwait International Airport at 4:34 AM local time.

"Gulf Air flight to Manchester finally departed at 0434 hours today carrying stranded Indian passengers among others. The Embassy team was on the ground till the flight departed."

The flight, Gulf Air GF5, had originally left Bahrain at 2:05 AM on December 1. It had to land in Manchester more than 7 hours later.

However, a technical issue forced the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to land in Kuwait at 4 in the morning according to local time.

The passengers denied being provided proper accommodation. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait said that they were in touch with the airlines and were extending proper assistance to the passengers. They claimed a team from the embassy was present at the airport and the passengers were being provided food and other essentials.  

The Embassy had, however, said the delay was due to the closure of government offices in Kuwait.

"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 the GCC Summit (Gulf Cooperation Council Summit) being hosted by Kuwait," the embassy said in a post on X.

As the situation grew tense, passengers took to social media to voice their grievances. 

"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," wrote a passenger on X, quoted TOI.

Passengers said Indian Embassy in Kuwait took action after the issue was highlighted on social media.

"After we raised the issue on social mediacasino frenzy, senior officials from the Indian Embassy in Kuwait reached out to the Indian passengers stuck at the airport," news agency ANI quoted Arzoo Singh as saying.

• in
• casino frenzy
• stranded
• Kuwait
• Gulf