Falcon travels on Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi with passport, internet stunned: 'This is extraordinary'

A viral video showed a man boarding an Etihad flight with his falcon, who had its own passport.

In a moment that has left the internet utterly amazed, a video has gone viral showing a man in the UAE taking his pet falcon on board an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi to Morocco—with the bird holding its very own passport.

"Yes, he's flying with us"

A man in a viral video stuns viewers at Abu Dhabi airport, revealing his falcon’s passport. (Instagram/uaefalcons_)

The video, shared on Instagram by user @uaefalcons_, captures a surreal exchange at an Etihad flight counter at Abu Dhabi airport. A man, dressed in traditional Emirati attire, is seen holding a falcon perched calmly on his hand. Another curious passenger approaches and jokingly asks, “Is it flying?” The falcon owner responds with a smile, “Yeah, of course it is flying with us in the plane.”

The falcon’s passport, issued by the UAE, reveals that the bird is male and originally from Spain. It even lists the countries the falcon has previously visited. Upon seeing the passport, the man remarks, “This is extraordinary.”

Since being posted, the video has amassed over 1.6 million views on Instagram and has sparked a flurry of reactions from users.

Internet reacts

The comment section on the post has been buzzing. One user joked, “This falcon travels more than I do!” Another quipped, “He probably has more stamps on his passport than me.” A third wrote, “Only in the UAE would this be completely normal.” Others admired the country’s dedication to animal heritage and tradition, with one user noting, “Respect for animals in Arab culture is next level. This is peak arab luxury”

Comments also ranged from pure admiration—“That’s so majestic!”—to sheer disbelief—“Wait, birds get passports now?” One viewer said, “Imagine sitting next to a falcon on a flight,” while another added, “This is why I love the internet.”