Letter: Fateful flight

Sir: Iraq had not declared war on Kuwait a few hours before our flight

BA149 landed at Kuwait on

2 August 1990 ("BA must pay pounds 2.5m to Gulf hostages", 16 July).

The flight landed at Kuwait at 1.13am. Iraq did not declare war on Kuwait

before its troops crossed the border at around the same time, to the complete

surprise of the entire world. On approach to the airfield, there were

no signs to the aircraft crew that anything was amiss. Everything was

as normal when our 747 landed and the passengers disembarked.

The airport was closed 47 minutes later, at 2am, and at 2.25am it was

attacked by Iraqi aircraft.

BBC World Service radio started reporting news of the invasion at 3.59am.

We have every sympathy for our passengers and employees who were held

hostage by the Iraqis as human shields - and offered them and their families

every support we could, including ex gratia payments - but what happened

to them was the result of an act of war. No court in England, Scotland

or the USA has found the airline responsible for this regrettable incident.