Passengers and crew members of a British Airways flight, who were held hostage in Kuwait during Saddam Hussein’s invasion in 1990, have initiated legal action against the UK government and the airline, a law firm announced on Monday.
British Airways Flight 149, en route to Kuala Lumpur, was intercepted and seized after landing in Kuwait on August 2, 1990, amidst Iraq’s invasion of the country. Some of the 367 passengers and crew endured more than four months of captivity, used as human shields against potential Western military actions during the first Gulf War.
Ninety-four individuals have filed a civil claim in London’s High Court, alleging that the UK government and British Airways knowingly endangered civilians by allowing the flight to land despite awareness of the ongoing invasion, according to McCue Jury & Partners, the law firm representing the claimants.
“All of the claimants suffered severe physical and psychological harm during their ordeal, the effects of which continue to impact them today,” the law firm stated.
The lawsuit contends that both the UK government and the airline were aware of the invasion but proceeded with the flight to facilitate the insertion of a covert special operations team into Kuwait.
“We were treated not as citizens but as expendable pawns for commercial and political gain,” said Barry Manners, a survivor of the ordeal who is participating in the legal action. “A successful resolution after years of denial will help restore faith in our political and judicial systems,” he added.
Documents released by the British government in November 2021 revealed that the UK ambassador in Kuwait had alerted London about the invasion prior to the flight’s arrival, although this information was reportedly not conveyed to British Airways.
There have been allegations, which the government denies, that London knowingly endangered passengers by using the flight to deploy undercover operatives and delayed departure to facilitate their boarding.
The UK government declined to comment on ongoing legal matters, while British Airways has consistently denied claims of negligence, conspiracy, or cover-up.
McCue Jury & Partners had announced plans in September to file the lawsuit, estimating that each hostage could claim an average of £170,000 ($213,000) in damages.
In 2003, a French court ruled that British Airways had “seriously failed in its obligations” to French hostages of the same flight, ordering the airline to pay 1.67 million euros in damages.
