This is the moment terrified passengers saw flames pouring from their plane’s engine during a flight to Britain.
Footage shows orange flames shooting into the night sky from the left side of the Gulf Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner about an hour into the flight.
The plane had taken off from Bahrain before its engine caught fire.
The plane made an emergency landing at Kuwait International Airport due to the fire in the early hours of Sunday, December 1.
Passengers on flight GF5 were stranded for more than 14 hours, reportedly without any assistance.
One said: ‘There was no help for us. The airport staff were rude and the airline did nothing. We were left waiting abroad and no one told us what would happen.’
Officials said the scheduled departure time was 2:10 a.m., with an arrival time of 6:35 a.m.
Flightradar24 reported that the plane took off with a delay at 2.25am before making an emergency landing about an hour later.
Footage shows orange flames shooting into the night sky from the left side of the Gulf Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, about an hour into the flight
Images show the left wing of the plane going up in flames
Above, emergency vehicles are seen arriving on the scene after the plane made its emergency landing
Local media reported that some passengers faced alleged discrimination, claiming that while EU, UK and US passport holders were provided accommodation, travelers from India, Pakistan and South East Asia were initially denied food and water .
The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has discussed the issue with airport authorities and airline officials. They arranged temporary accommodation for seniors and passengers with babies.
Gulf Air said in a statement: ‘Gulf Air confirms that flight GF005, operating from Bahrain International Airport (BAH) to Manchester Airport (MAN) on December 1, 2024, was diverted to Kuwait International Airport (KWI) due to a technical issue.
‘An alternative aircraft has been arranged so that passengers can continue their journey to Manchester. Temporary accommodation was also provided for passengers affected by the diversion.
“Gulf Air apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this unexpected change in route and appreciates the understanding and patience of our passengers and their families. The safety and security of those who travel with us remains our top priority.”
The aircraft involved in the incident was a 6.5-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered as A9C-FB. It has a capacity of 282 passengers, of which 256 in economy class and 26 in business class.
Gulf Air’s fleet consists of 42 aircraft, including Airbus A320, A321 and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.