An image taken from a flight going to Jeddah has gone viral on the internet. The image shows falcons flying together with other passengers on board the plane in the economy class area. People are now baffled with the unusual sight.
According to The Drive, the uploader of the picture received a photo from his friend on board the flight and posted it on Reddit. As expected, the picture went viral and the user said that the unusual sight happened because a Saudi Prince bought 80 plane tickets for his falcons.
There are no further details as to why the prince chose to have the birds transported via commercial flight. It's also a mystery why the birds were place in the cabin area and not in the cargo bay. Anxious flight attendants were really surprised by the situation.
However, the New York Post reported that Saudia, Saudi Arabia's national carrier, has a policy that passengers can have their falcons board the plane. In fact, Doha-based Qatar Airways also has the same policy and allows six falcons to board the plane per flight.
Falconry, a hunting tradition that involves falcons, is quite a common custom in Middle Eastern countries. Having these birds of prey is pretty common for the elite class because they serve as status symbols. For those passengers who can afford, they opt to have their falcons transported via plane to avoid theft.
Falcons are really popular in the Middle East, in fact, some countries even have hospitals that specifically cater to these birds. Cone Nast Traveler reported that falcons must be issued passports to travel because these birds are prone to smuggling because of their high value.
A falcon's passport is valid for three years and allows the bird to travel in the UAE. A leg ring is attached to the bird with an ID number that matches its passport. It's no wonder why this Saudi Prince bought 80 tickets to have his falcons fly to Jeddah.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
