If it does, it might start in the Middle East.
This picture was shared by a friend. When I first saw it my mind went into complete blank. I kept looking at it for several minutes, looking for something that attracts me to know more about the whole picture.
I often watched documentaries on these birds and they really awed me by the way they swoop down to catch their prey. The person who handled them must wear protective gears…. now the birds are on a plane?!
Lucky me. There was this exact picture in one article that described about a favorite sport of the rich Middle Eastern men who indulge in falconry.
By definition falconry is the hunting of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. This sport is popular in the United Arab Emirates, no wonder their aircraft (Qatar Airway) would accommodate its practitioners. The charge is between 90-500 pounds each bird depending on the destinations. That is a lot of money!!
No worries, if you happen to be on the same flight or the same cabin…the bird’s wings are tied so they could not fly around and make a mess. On that particular flight there were 80 birds altogether. I am sure they were not served any meals on the flight.
Besides Qatar Airway, there is another airway that caters for this kind of service that is Etihad. The birds must be registered with complete documents for travel. Most surprising the bird has their own passport to avoid any illegal smuggling. They are travelling first class by the way…phew.
Now the German Airline who is in tight competition with other Gulf-based Airline is planning to cater for this service made available by the end of next year. They even has come up with a new design called ‘Falcon Master’ to ensure proper hygiene to the cabin. It also comes with a cage.
I think now we are moving to a new era where passengers can travel with their pets sitting next to them, no more in the cabin hold where most pets are kept for the journey. What do you think?
