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A Gulf Air flight en route to Manchester was forced to divert to Kuwait due to engine problems. The incident occurred on December 1, when a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, operating as Gulf Air Flight GF5 from Bahrain International Airport to Manchester Airport, experienced an issue with its left engine. Reports indicated that the engine caught fire, necessitating the diversion.
The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered as A9C-FB, which has been in service for 6.5 years since its delivery to Gulf Air in June 2018. It has a seating capacity of 282 passengers, divided between economy and business classes.
The diversion caused complications for approximately 60 passengers due to visa issues. Passengers holding US, UK, and EU passports were allowed hotel accommodations outside the airport. However, others, mainly Indian nationals without transit visas, had to remain inside the airport terminal. One passenger remarked, "They told us only passengers eligible for a transit visa could be accommodated in hotels. For others, it took hours to even access the airport lounge."
