The passengers and crew of British Airways flight 149, which was taken hostage in Kuwait in 1990 during Iraq's invasion, have initiated legal action against both the UK government and British Airways. This action, filed by 94 individuals at the High Court in London, accuses the government and the airline of knowingly endangering civilians by allowing the flight to land in Kuwait despite knowledge of the ongoing invasion.
The flight, bound for Kuala Lumpur, landed in Kuwait shortly after Iraq's invasion began on August 2, 1990. Passengers and crew were subsequently held captive for over four months, during which they endured severe physical and psychological harm, including being used as human shields against potential Western attacks.
The legal claim asserts that the UK government and British Airways were aware of the invasion but proceeded with the flight to insert a covert special operations team into occupied Kuwait. This decision, according to the claimants, treated them not as citizens but as expendable assets for political and commercial purposes.
Barry Manners, a survivor of the ordeal, emphasized the need for accountability and justice, stating that a victory in their legal pursuit would help restore trust in the political and judicial processes.
The UK government has refrained from commenting on the ongoing legal proceedings, while British Airways has previously denied allegations of negligence, conspiracy, and cover-up regarding the incident.
This legal action follows similar claims and rulings in other jurisdictions, such as a French court's decision in 2003 ordering British Airways to compensate French hostages of the same flight for failing in its obligations by landing in Kuwait under the circumstances.
