British Airways Flight 149

British Airways Flight 149 was a scheduled flight from Heathrow Airport to Subang International Airport via Kuwait International Airport and Madras International Airport, operated by British Airways using a Boeing 747-100.

Before the aircraft landed at Kuwait International Airport on 2 August 1990, Iraq launched a full-scale invasion of Kuwait during the early hours of that morning. Following the aircraft's arrival, the flight was never resumed due to the invasion. Within hours, the Iraqi Army advanced as far as Kuwait City and took control of the airport, where they captured the aircraft and its occupants. The majority of the passengers and crew were initially detained at several nearby hotels along with other foreigners under armed guard. The airliner was later destroyed on the ground; the identity of those responsible for its destruction remains unknown.

During their detention, passengers alleged that they were subjected to abuse and witnessed atrocities performed by Iraqi forces. To secure their release, former British Prime Minister Edward Heath travelled to Baghdad to lead negotiations, which included direct talks between Heath and Saddam Hussein. One passenger, a Kuwaiti citizen, was listed as having been killed by Iraqi troops while all remaining passengers were released from their captivity following the conclusion of the conflict. Many of the detainees developed post-traumatic stress disorder after being released.

Background

At 19:05 BST (18:05 GMT) on 1 August 1990, British Airways Flight 149 (BA 149) departed from Heathrow Airport with 367 passengers on board, its final destination was Kuala Lumpur with scheduled layovers in Kuwait City and Madras. The flight had been delayed at Heathrow for several hours; according to the captain of the first leg of the flight, Richard Brunyate, the cause was a fault in the aircraft's auxiliary power unit; some passengers claim to have heard crewmembers arguing if they should proceed or not. The flight had a scheduled stopover at Kuwait City; however, this was not cancelled or changed despite media reports of the worsening political situation in the region. Kuwait's larger neighbor, Iraq, had issued demands for territory to be surrendered to its control and had been staging a military buildup on the border between the two nations for weeks. During the delay at Heathrow, the flight crew requested up-to-date reports on the situation in Kuwait and were told nothing untoward was happening despite news of growing tension.

Shortly after the flight departed, the crew radioed ahead for another report, speaking to both Kuwaiti air traffic control (ATC) and British Airways Flight 148, a Lockheed Tristar which had departed from Kuwait earlier. Both claimed that the situation at Kuwait International Airport appeared normal. Captain Brunyate later testified that he elected to resume the stopover in Kuwait after again talking to Kuwaiti ATC during the final approach and being told that it was fine to land at the airport. He also stated that he asked permission to perform an additional circuit pattern to observe the airport from above and did not notice anything suspicious. However, on 2 August 1990, the same day as BA 149's flight, Iraq launched a military invasion of Kuwait.

At 04:13 AST (01:13 GMT) on 2 August 1990, BA 149 landed at Kuwait International Airport and the passengers were disembarked for what should have been an hour wait. The airport was deserted and there was little-to-no staff on the ground; at the point of its landing, all other scheduled flights by other airlines had been cancelled or diverted for several hours already at this point. Thirty passengers were booked on the flight to finish their journey in Kuwait and disembarked the plane with the inbound crew who proceeded to set off for their hotel. According to some passenger accounts, those who were disembarking in Kuwait proceeded to immigration but found that their luggage was not being unloaded. There were reports that, prior to BA 149's landing, British military personnel had taken control of Kuwait Airport's control tower. Between 04:45 and 05:05 local time, the crew for the onward flight and remaining passengers boarded the Boeing 747 in anticipation of the next leg to Madras which was to be captained by Peter Clark. During the preparations to takeoff, the flight crew were informed that the airport would be closed for two hours. At 05:20, Iraqi fighter-bombers reportedly bombed the airport's runway, preventing its use, and knocked out the airport's control tower. The cabin crew ordered an evacuation of the aircraft and the passengers were initially moved into the terminal building. At 06:00 local time, Kuwaiti radio made a national announcement that Iraqi troops had crossed the border.

At 07:30 AST (04:30 GMT), both the crew and passengers who had been on board Flight 149 were escorted from the terminal by the Iraqi army and transported by bus to the airport's onsite hotel. On 3 August 1990, it was reported that all of the 367 passengers and 18 crewmembers from BA 149 were safe and well.

The empty 747, which had remained at Kuwait International Airport throughout the war, was destroyed on the ground by an aircraft attack during the latter stages of the conflict; the destruction may have been an intentional act of the US military to prevent its use by the Iraqi military. Alternatively, the aircraft may have been destroyed by Iraqi ground forces during their withdrawal from Kuwait. As a consequence of its destruction, British Airways was able to collect on the airliner's insurance. Two of the aircraft's landing gears were salvaged and are displayed at Waterside, British Airways' headquarters at London Heathrow.