The Secret History of Flight 149

Imagine boarding a flight thinking you’re heading on holiday, but instead you get taken hostage by Saddam Hussein. It might sound far-fetched, but in August 1990 this is what happened to the passengers and crew of BA Flight 149. What followed has been dubbed the most shocking government cover-up of the last thirty years.

Journalist Stephen Davis has been reporting on this extraordinary story for the past three decades. In this series you’ll hear directly from the hostages - the people used as human shields by the Iraqi regime, with horrific and traumatic consequences. But why was the plane allowed to land at all, putting so many lives at risk? Why have secrets and lies persisted for so many years? Join Stephen in his search to uncover the truth behind The Secret History of Flight 149.

Presenter: Stephen Davis

Producer: Samantha Psyk

Mixing and sound design: Rory Auskerry