After news spread widely on social media about a Saudi businessman mistakenly purchasing two Airbus aircraft thinking he was buying toy planes for his son, the details surrounding this issue, which created quite a stir, have been clarified. Fact-checking revealed that this claim is completely false, according to the French news agency "AFP."
The information originated from the website "Thin Air Today" in August 2019 and has been incorrectly circulated again recently. The satirical site itself typically states at the bottom of each page that everything published is for comedic purposes, saying, "Our goal is entertainment, nothing more."
The owner of the site confirmed to AFP that it is a humorous site aimed solely at entertainment, adding that all content is published within that framework. Reports in several languages claimed that an Arab businessman wanted to buy two toy planes for his son’s birthday but mistakenly purchased two real ones without noticing their hefty price.
The incorrect news attracted thousands of reactions on Facebook and Twitter, prompting Boeing itself to break its silence. Matthew DeFlorio, a spokesperson, explained in a call with AFP that there are elements that call the veracity of the news into question. He added that selling an aircraft requires initial interest from an airline or government, followed by negotiations about required specifications, then soliciting bids, and later discussions regarding the price which may involve the board of directors. Therefore, the idea of accidentally purchasing two planes is illogical.
He further explained that once the price is determined, contracts are signed, the first payment is transferred, and a timeline for paying the remaining balance is agreed upon, along with a delivery date, which is entirely absent from the fabricated news, confirming its falsity. He remarked that paying for two airplanes with a credit card, as claimed in the reports, is simply not possible.
It’s worth noting that the story also spread to news sites that republished it without recognizing it as false, while some sites reposted it but later apologized for the error.
