A woman travelling from Riga, Latvia, to Dubai experienced an unusual journey when she discovered she was the only passenger on the Flydubai flight. Marina, an English teacher, shared a video on social media showing rows of empty seats, captioning it: 'When you are the only passenger on the plane to Dubai.' The video, posted on March 8, has garnered over 2.5 million views.
Marina described feeling like 'a VIP passenger' during the flight. The unusual situation occurred against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advising against all but essential travel to the UAE due to security concerns. The Middle East has been in conflict since joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, leading to Iranian retaliation and disruption to air travel.
The UAE Ministry of Defence reported intercepting 285 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,567 drones from Iran. A drone crashed into a fuel tank at Dubai International Airport, causing a temporary closure. Despite the risks, thousands of Brits remain in the UAE, and tourists like Marina have kept their holiday plans.
Viewers reacted with a mix of concern and humour, with comments joking about her having the bathroom to herself and eating as much as she liked. One user remarked, 'That's beyond being a passenger. We can say you travelled using a private jet.' Others predicted the return flight would be fuller, as many tourists feel trapped in Dubai due to flight cancellations.
The FCDO has updated its travel advice, noting limited commercial options for departure and suggesting non-essential travellers consider leaving if they can do so safely.
