Former British Airways Hostages Sue UK Government and Airline

Passengers and crew of British Airways flight 149, taken hostage in Kuwait in 1990, have launched legal action against the UK government and the airline. The lawsuit, filed by 94 of the 367 affected individuals, accuses both parties of "deliberately endangering" civilians by allowing the Kuala Lumpur-bound flight to land in Kuwait hours after Iraq's invasion on August 2, 1990.

The claimants, represented by McCue Jury & Partners, allege severe physical and psychiatric harm from their captivity, some of which lasted over four months. They argue that the UK government and British Airways were aware of the invasion but proceeded to land the flight to insert a covert special ops team into Kuwait. "We were not treated as citizens but as expendable pawns for commercial and political gain," said Barry Manners, one of the claimants.

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Recently released UK government files indicate that the UK ambassador to Kuwait had informed London of the Iraqi incursion before the flight landed, but this information was not passed on to British Airways. The UK government and the airline deny allegations of negligence and conspiracy. In 2003, a French court ordered BA to pay 1.67 million euros to the flight’s French hostages for failing to fulfill its obligations.

The lawsuit seeks an estimated average of £170,000 ($213,000) in damages per claimant. The UK government has refused to comment on the ongoing legal matters, and British Airways has maintained that it was not warned about the invasion.