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Updated June 24th, 2021 at 22:57 IST

Felt like a 'Maharaja', says UAE-based Indian lone flyer on Air India flight to Dubai

A UAE-based Indian businessman who travelled from Amritsar to Dubai as the sole passenger on the Air India international flight said he felt like a 'Maharaja'.

Reported by: Gargi Rohatgi
Pixabay, ANI
Pixabay, ANI | Image:self
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A UAE-based Indian businessman who travelled from Amritsar to Dubai as the sole passenger on the Air India international flight said he felt like a 'Maharaja'. The businessman and philanthropist SP Singh Oberoi who took around a three-hour flight on Wednesday found that he was the only passenger in the aircraft.

Oberoi said, "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 felt like a Maharaja during my travel."

UAE-based Indian travels alone in Air India flight to Dubai

Oberoi, who holds a ten-year golden visa and operates a business in Dubai said that when he bought the ticket for the Air India flight for dirham 750, he never thought that he will have the experience of flying in a chartered plane. "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," Oberoi said recounting his memories from around a three-hour flight to Dubai.

Without any co-passengers, Oberoi said he found the journey extremely boring and he even resorted to counting the number of seats and windows of the Airbus 320 aircraft to pass the time. He also measured the length of the aircraft by steps to cure his boredom. "I missed the 'Jo Bole So Nihaal' and 'Sat Sri Akal' chants that passengers from Punjab usually raise during take-off and landing of the aircraft," he said.

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 vaccination proofs. 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." UAE has put restrictions on passenger flights from India since late April in view of the surge in cases of coronavirus. Air India has refused to comment on the matter.

(Image: Pixabay, ANI)

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Published June 24th, 2021 at 22:57 IST

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