In an age of austerity, Saudi prince buys airplane seats to transport 80 falcons

The members of the Saudi Arabian Royal family are known for their fabulous wealth and their keenness to flaunt it whenever an opportunity comes.

In an age of austerity, Saudi prince buys airplane seats to transport 80 falcons
Pic/Video Courtesy: Twitter

Dubai: The members of the Saudi Arabian Royal family are known for their fabulous wealth and their keenness to flaunt it whenever an opportunity comes. One such incident has come to fore now, which claims that a Saudi prince recently bought tickets of a passenger jet for transporting his 80 falcons.

A picture posted on Twitter went viral after it was re-tweeted by several users on the micro-blogging website and showed a flock of blindfolded falcons seated on a plane around the cabin among passengers.

Each bird was seemingly tied securely down to the seats.

Transportation of falcons, the national bird of the UAE, is not a rare practice in the Middle East.

Falcons can get their own forest green passports to fly in the UAE. That passport allows them to travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Morocco, and Syria.

Qatar Airways' website also states that a maximum of six falcons can be brought in economy class.

A Flydubai spokesman said falcons must have their own seat, with a cloth placed underneath them to prevent accidents. Etihad Airways also allows falcons on board.

A video of nearly 80 falcons literally taking the flight was also posted by In The Now.  

With PTI inputs

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