Insane photograph shows full Airbus after Saudi prince booked 80 seats on plane for his falcons
Birds on a plane
Featured Image Credit: Anadolu / Contributor / Getty
"I've had it with these motherflapping birds on this motherflapping plane." The idea of Birds on a Plane sounds like the perfect Snakes on a Plane sequel, and if you've ever seen Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, you'll know how terrifying they can be.
With the Saudi royal family being the richest in the world and boasting some $1.4 trillion in wealth, it's no secret that there's some serious money flying around.
It's not just investing a mere $1.5 trillion in its NEOM Project or Elon Musk hobnobbing with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to secure $600 billion in investment that shows Saudi Arabia has deep pockets.
The rich in this area of the world are no strangers to traveling in style, especially remembering the Qatari royals donated President Donald Trump a potential Air Force One replacement in the form of a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet.
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In more plane news, one Saudi prince went viral after he commandeered an Airbus with his cast of (name for a group) falcons.
Posted on Reddit back in 2017, u/Lensoo claims their friend who is a captain sent them the picture. With the birds perched on boxes in coach, the 80 falcons looks right at home alongside various human passengers.
The birds were supposedly booked onto the flight by a Saudi prince, although it's unclear whether the others aboard the plane are part of his entourage or have been stuck next to the birds.
As noted by Business Insider, falcons are regulars on planes in the Middle East due to falconry being popular among its elite for thousands.
Over in Dubai, there's a museum dedicated to falcons and a high-end falcon hospital, while a falcon is the national symbol of the UAE.
In the Reddit thread, one person pointed to an Atlas Obscura article that explains falcons can get their own passport that lasts for three years and allows them to travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Morocco, and Syria.
A spokesperson for the airline Flydubai reiterated that falcons require their own seat and have a cloth placed on their head in order to prevent accidents. Qatar Airways states you can bring up to six falcons in economy class, while Etihad says: "We accept the carriage of falcons in the main aircraft cabin provided that all the necessary documents have been obtained. We also accept falcons as checked baggage."
So, next time you're flying with any of the above, don't be too surprised to find yourself sitting next to a falcon. Well, we'd imagine it's better than havng to share a plane with a screaming toddler for a 15-hour flight to Dubai.