This takes ‘living life King size very literally. We’ve all perhaps wished a flight we took was a lot more empty when we travelled, but a man from Amritsar seems to have lived it: with no one but him on board. An Indian businessman based in UAE recently was the sole passenger on an Air India from Amritsar to Dubai. Businessman and philanthropist SP Singh Oberoi, who took the three-hour flight on Wednesday found he was the only passenger on the entire flight. Oberoi, who holds a ten-year golden visa and operates a business in Dubai said that when he bought the ticket for the three-hour flight for 750 dirhams, reports Hindustan Times.
Speaking to ANI, he said shared, “I took my flight from Amritsar to Dubai by Air India (AI-929) on June 23 at around 4 am. I was very lucky to be the only passenger on the entire flight. I feel like a Maharaja during my travel." Being the only passenger has its perks: “I was treated very well by the entire crew and was photographed in an empty plane, I took pictures with the crew and pilots of the aircraft,” he added.
The solo flight cost Oberoi 70 dirhams or approximately Rs 15,000 in Indian currency. While the royalty of being the only passenger was great for a while, Oberoi told ANI he got bored after a while and even resorted to counting the number of seats and windows of the Airbus 320 aircraft to pass time. He also measured the length of the aircraft by steps.
“I missed the usually ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal’ and ‘Sat Sri Akal’ chants that passengers from Punjab usually raise during take-off and landing of the aircraft," he told ANI. Oberoi had been refused permission by Air India for boarding the flight but after the intervention of the Ministry of Civil Aviation he was allowed to do so. “I was carrying all travel documents including authorized UAE full vaccinations proof. I finally boarded the flight after the intervention of Hardeep Singh Puri’s ministry." Oberoi said. He further said, “If I get a chance to travel solo next time I will refuse. It is good for once in a lifetime experience. It was very boring," reports ANI.
Earlier, in May a Dubai-bound flight took off from Mumbai with just one passenger in keeping with new travel restrictions that have been put in place for Indian passengers flying to the United Arab Emirates. The flight, an Emirates Airlines Boeing (B-777) with a capacity to hold 350 passengers, took off from Mumbai airport on May 19. However, due to the restrictions put on Indin flyers, the flight managed to carry just one passenger from India.
The flyer, a 40-year-old businessman named Bhavesh Javeri, booked the passage for Rs 18,000. Javeri, who is the CEO of Stargems Group with an office in Dubai, had the entire plane all to himself and had a great time on his journey since he received special services from the plane’s crew.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here