UAE aviation influencer Sam Chui marries aboard Boeing 747 in sky wedding

Fujairah: It was quite literally love in the air when aviation influencer Sam Chui married fellow aviation professional Fiona Pang aboard a chartered Boeing 747-400 soaring over the UAE on July 12.

Photos and videos posted on Instagram on Monday showed how the couple turned their shared passion for aviation into an unforgettable wedding experience. The event was one of the few private weddings ever held on a 747 in the region.

Nearly 100 seats were removed from the aircraft to create an aisle, a dance floor, and a celebration space. This transformed the jet into a unique flying venue for the cake-cutting, the first dance, and wedding speeches.

“We’re very happy. It was really the best day of our lives,” Sam told Gulf News.

“We were very lucky that we both work in aviation, and this airplane — Boeing 747 — is the plane that introduced us to aviation and made us fall in love with it. It’s synonymous with the golden age of aviation," said Sam who is known for his obsession with the plane.

Fiona, who started her career as a flight attendant, said the 747 was the first aircraft she trained on when she joined the industry. So, when they decided to have an unconventional wedding, celebrating their union on the Boeing 747, once known as the "Queen of the Skies", became a symbolic choice.

At the airport, the couple received a personalised welcome. Digital monitors displayed congratulatory messages, customised boarding passes were handed out, Arabic coffee was served, and a lounge was opened for around 60 guests, many of whom had flown in from across the world.

The wedding photo frame featured messages like " Seatbelts on...It’s forever" and "Love is in the air,” capturing the spirit of their sky-high celebration.

The wedding flight was chartered through Aquiline International, the only operator of a 747-400 passenger model in the UAE.

“All the other 747 passenger planes are mostly retired, converted to cargo, or reserved for heads of state. So really, this was a tremendous opportunity for us,” said Sam.

During the 90-minute flight, which departed from Fujairah International Airport and cruised over the Gulf of Oman at 28,000 feet, guests explored every corner of the aircraft — from the cockpit to the upper deck. They were encouraged to treat the plane like home. One guest was even spotted peeking out of the overhead bin.

“We wanted our guests to really feel the aircraft and experience it as their own. Some had never flown on a 747. They explored the crew rest area, the aft galley, and the flight deck,” said Sam.

Fiona added a personal touch to the celebration: a song she originally wrote as a Valentine’s Day gift became the soundtrack for their first dance. The lyrics, written by Fiona herself, reflected their shared love for aviation.

The couple had originally planned to marry in April but postponed due to personal reasons.

“At the time, my mother’s health was declining rapidly, and we decided to wait. She is no longer with us, but I’m sure she’s smiling down from the skies, happy to see me married and to know there’s someone now to look after me,” said Sam.

Though the total cost of the event is still being finalised, Sam noted that fuel alone for a 747 can cost around $20,000 per hour, excluding additional expenses like airport fees, catering, and décor.

“But the cost doesn’t matter… The experience is priceless.”

And it might not be a one-time event for them. “We might do it again in five or ten years, maybe an anniversary flight. It is definitely something that is going to serve us a lifetime of memories,” Sam added with a smile.

Asked whether this could inspire other aviation enthusiasts to set a trend, he replied: “If you love aviation, why not? The sky isn’t even the limit anymore. You can make your passion part of your life’s biggest moments.”