When a Saudi royal takes to the skies, his falcons don’t fly in cargo—they fly first class. A viral image showed nearly 80 falcons perched calmly in airplane seats, each with its own ticket. This isn’t royal whimsy—it’s standard Gulf aviation practice. Airlines like Qatar Airways charge about $500 per falcon and cap in-cabin numbers, while the UAE even issues official falcon passports for international travel.

Flying first class is usually quite expensive as is, but imagine how costly it would be if you bought 80 additional airplane tickets…for your pet birds.

Money doesn’t seem to be an issue for a Saudi prince who recently flew with his prized flock of falcons. A viral photo posted to Reddit shows an airline that, ironically enough, was tasked with flying the 80 feathered customers to their destination.

In the photo, dozens of falcons can be seen perched along the centre aisle of an unknown flight, right alongside numerous human passengers.

And although it may seem very unusual to some, it turns out that flying with a pet bird isn’t as uncommon as you would think in some parts of the world.

Falconry is a popular pastime in many parts of the Middle East, where a tradition of training birds for hunting small game exists. That might help explain why certain airlines in the region allow pet falcons to travel on their airplanes.

But flying with your pet falcon by your side isn’t exactly cheap. Depending on the destination, the going rate for each bird on a Qatar Airways flight can range from $115 to 650 US in excess baggage fees.

One thing is certain: it pays to have a prince as a pet owner.