What happened to British Airways Flight 149?
Discover the shocking ordeal innocent passengers and crew faced after landing in Kuwait in August 1990.
Image: Johnny Saunderson / Alamy Stock Photo
In the early hours of 2nd August 1990, a commercial flight bound for Kuwait became an unwitting part of one of the most dramatic and harrowing hostage crises in modern history. British Airways Flight 149, carrying 385 passengers and crew, had just touched down at Kuwait International Airport when Iraq launched a surprise invasion of the country.
What followed was a traumatic ordeal for the passengers, who found themselves caught in a geopolitical nightmare, held hostage by Saddam Hussein’s forces, and used as human shields in the build-up to the Gulf War.
This article will delve into the events that unfolded and what the hostages from the flight had to endure.
A fateful journey
Flight 149, a scheduled flight from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur, made a stopover in Kuwait. Passengers on board were unaware of the events that were about to unfold, as the flight was scheduled months in advance and the political situation in the region seemed stable at the time. However, as the plane touched down at 4:00am, Iraqi forces were already rolling across the border into Kuwait, launching a swift and brutal invasion that would set the stage for the Gulf War.
In the moments after the plane landed, the crew and passengers were still none the wiser of the unfolding crisis. As the aircraft taxied to the terminal, Iraqi soldiers swarmed the airport. The passengers, many of whom were British nationals, were immediately detained by the Iraqi military, and the plane was forced to remain on the tarmac.
The hostage crisis begins
As soon as the passengers and crew disembarked the plane, they were greeted by Iraqi soldiers who promptly began separating them. Iraq’s goal was clear: to use the passengers as leverage against the international community, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States, who had close ties with Kuwait. The passengers were herded into a terminal building and held at gunpoint, while the news of the invasion and the plane’s landing spread globally.
As the hours passed, the situation worsened. The hostages were moved into a makeshift holding area, where they were subjected to intimidation, hunger, and psychological torment. They were forced to watch as Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s notorious dictator, appeared on state television, addressing the nation with the passengers visible in the background. The image of these innocent civilians held against their will became a powerful symbol of the Iraqi regime’s ruthlessness.
The horrific ordeal took a darker turn as the hostages were used as human shields. Iraqi forces began moving the group between various locations, including military installations and government buildings, to deter any potential airstrikes. For the hostages, this meant enduring constant fear of death as they were exposed to the possibility of being caught in the crossfire of the impending war.
A struggle for survival
Sadly, not all the hostages survived the ordeal. One passenger, British national Brian O’Neill, died while in captivity. He had suffered a heart attack during his time as a hostage, and despite attempts at medical care, he passed away. His death served as a stark reminder of the physical and emotional toll the hostage crisis was taking on everyone involved.
Over the following days and weeks, the hostages were held in increasingly inhumane conditions. They were denied food, medical care, and even basic human rights, all while the international community scrambled to secure their release. Some of the hostages, including the crew members, were subjected to interrogations by the Iraqi military, who were keen to find out whether they had any military knowledge or links to the British government. The uncertainty of the situation only added to the psychological trauma that the hostages endured.
The release
After 13 days of captivity, the hostages were finally released. The breakthrough came after intense diplomatic pressure from the British government and other Western allies. As part of the negotiations, Iraq’s demands for political concessions were met with limited success, but the hostages were freed without incident. They were allowed to board a flight to London, though many would return home physically and emotionally scarred by their experiences.
