Kamal Ghorui
Air travel has become increasingly unpredictable as airlines adjust routes and schedules amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. But for one traveller, the unusual situation led to an experience that most passengers can only dream of, which is having an entire commercial flight to herself. A Latvia-based English teacher recently went viral online after revealing that she was the sole passenger on a flight from Riga to Dubai.
A flight with just one passenger
The traveller, identified as Marina Gilla, recorded her journey on March 8 while travelling to Dubai. In a video she shared on Instagram, the aircraft appears almost surreal, row after row of completely empty seats, with only one traveller on board. Laughing about the unusual situation, she described the journey as her unexpected “VIP flight.” The video shows vacant rows, with her settling into a window seat. At one point, she jokes that the commercial flight felt more like a private jet.Read more: Etihad Airways: Check updated flight schedule until March 15; advises passengers to check bookings before travel
Turning a commercial flight into a “VIP experience”
Dressed casually in a green hoodie and sunglasses, Marina appeared to be enjoying every moment of the rare travel experience. With no other passengers competing for space, she had her pick of seats and plenty of room to relax. The video also showed her sipping a cold drink while filming the quiet cabin around her. Flight attendants reportedly gave her extra attention during the journey, offering additional snacks and checking in frequently, something that naturally happens when there is only one guest to look after. In the caption that she wrote in association with the video, she said, “When you are the only passenger on the plane to Dubai on the 8th of March, 2026!” She jokingly referred to it as a ‘VIP flight from Riga to Dubai.’ She added some hashtags like ‘private jet,’ ‘travelling,’ ‘VIP passenger,’ and so on. The unusual situation soon caught the attention of social media users, and they were amused, and even a little jealous, at her situation. One user commented that she should rename the video as,“Got a private jet to Dubai!” Another joked about the perks of having an entire plane to herself, writing that at least she had the bathroom all to herself and could enjoy as much food as she wanted.Others were curious about the logistics of such a flight, wondering why the airline didn’t simply upgrade her to business class when she was the only traveller. Some people even speculated that the return leg of the flight could have been a lot busier, which suggests that the airline could have expected passengers to be on that flight back.Read more: UAE flight update: Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai, Air Arabia resume limited operations with rebooking options
A rare moment
Though extremely rare, moments like this can happen when an airline operates a repositioning flight or continues a scheduled flight despite low passenger demand. In Marina’s case, the unusual experience turned what might have been an ordinary journey into a memorable story, and a viral moment online. It’s a usual routine that travellers squeeze into crowded cabins, and at times, compete for overhead luggage space. But for this lucky passenger flying from Riga to Dubai, the journey turned into something far more exclusive: a commercial flight that felt like her own private jet.
