Swami Sivananda, a 124-year-old from India, just won some new fans in Abu Dhabi.
Swami, flying from his native city of Kolkata to London with Etihad Airways, had a stopover in the UAE capital. With his simple demeanour and conduct, he charmed the staff in the flight and at the airport too, and the staff gleefully clicked photos with him. Can't blame them, for only once in a blue moon will they find a passenger's passport with date of birth reading 08/08/1896 and walking around unassisted at the airport.
Etihad Airways was happy to host such a distinguished guest.
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"As long as you're fit to fly, there really is no age limit to air travel. Etihad flies people of all ages every day, from the youngest infants to centenarians, and we are committed to ensuring that all our guests are well-looked after," an Etihad spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times.
If data on the passport holds good, Swami could be the oldest person alive. For the record, as of October 7, the oldest verified living person is Kane Tanaka of Japan, aged 116 years, 278 days.
Swami, who hails from Kolkata, runs Sivananda Ashram in Varanasi, a city in India's Uttar Pradesh state. He has a following in India and this trip is to meet his followers in Europe.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
