Man goes viral as only passenger on Abu Dhabi-Singapore flight

One passenger was in for a surprise on his flight to Singapore. Photo / JC Gellidon, Unsplash

Nothing beats having an empty seat next to you on a flight. Except, perhaps, having every other seat empty.

This dream came true for one traveller flying from Abu Dhabi to Singapore, who has gone viral after sharing on Twitter that he was the plane's only passenger.

Norwegian businessman Alex Svanevik made light of the unusual event, tweeting about how all pilot announcements began with a personal address.

I'm alone on my flight to Singapore.

The pilot makes all announcements starting with "Mr. Alexander".

— Alex Svanevik (@ASvanevik) September 28, 2021

Upon touch down in Changi Airport Svanevik was personally welcomed to Singapore by the flight crew.

I’ve arrived (sound on) pic.twitter.com/A4SMYgDTrH

— Alex Svanevik (@ASvanevik) September 29, 2021

Svanevik described travelling with only crew on board as "100 percent true and 120 percent surreal."

Despite Etihad Airways being the only commercial flight on that route for the day, 335 of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner's 336 seats were empty.

Those who may have complained about the environmental impact of a solo Boeing flight were quickly assured by Svanevik that the flight would have gone ahead, even with no passengers.

It may be a surprise to some but passengerless flights have grown in frequency over the years, particularly early in the pandemic when airlines would operate 'ghost flights' holding only crews to maintain schedules and runway space.

Svanevik isn't the only one to have lucked out. One Twitter user soon shared how he had also flown solo from Mumbai India to Dubai on an Emirates flight in May.

#WATCH Due to #COVID19 restrictions in UAE @emirates ✈️ flies with one passenger from (BOM-Dubai) @CSMIA_Official to @DubaiAirports #AvGeek
👑 feeling pic.twitter.com/RzMt9HL1VN

— Ashoke Raj (@Ashoke_Raj) May 25, 2021

People tended to reply positively to Svanevik's videos and photos of a vacant luxury cabin. Some describing it as "awesome" while others shared information about why flights often operate without passengers.