British Airways Flight 149
Wreckage of the aircraft after being blown up | |
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | 2 August 1990 |
| Summary | Passengers and crew taken hostage, hours after the Invasion of Kuwait started |
| Site |
|
| Aircraft | |
| G-AWND, the aircraft involved, seen in 1985 with a previous livery | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 747-136 |
| Aircraft name | Coniston Water |
| Operator | British Airways |
| IATA flight No. | BA149 |
| ICAO flight No. | BAW149 |
| Call sign | SPEEDBIRD 149 |
| Registration | G-AWND |
| Flight origin | Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom |
| 1st stopover | Kuwait International Airport, Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| Last stopover | Madras International Airport, Madras, India |
| Destination | Subang International Airport, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Occupants | 385 |
| Passengers | 367 |
| Crew | 18 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 384 |
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 747-136.
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.