Dubai: An Emirates flight from Tokyo Narita airport landed in Dubai with an extra traveller after a female passenger gave birth mid-air.
Despite the medical emergency, 12-hour EK-19 flight landed at Dubai International flight on schedule, CNN reported quoting Emirates officials.
The delivery, after the woman went into labour well into the flight’s journey towards its destination, was facilitated by Emirates cabin crew, who all receive medical training so that they can handle situations like baby deliveries and heart attacks.
“The parent and infant are in stable condition and, upon arrival in Dubai, were met by local medical staff. The health and safety of our crew and passengers is of paramount importance,” Emirates told CNN.
The policy of Emirates and most commercial airlines states that pregnant passengers can fly up to their seventh month of pregnancy provided they don’t have any medical complications.
In case women who are 29 weeks pregnant or more want to fly, they have to furnish a medical certificate or a letter signed by their doctor or midwife.
No one is allowed to fly after 32nd week of multiple pregnancy or 36th week of a single pregnancy.
Giving birth on board an aircraft is rare but not unknown.
Last year only, there were two such instances.
In May 2022, a woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy in a lavatory while travelling on a Frontier Airlines flight in the US, with assistance from a flight attendant. In January 2022, a passenger on a flight from Accra (Ghana) to Washington delivered on the floor of the cabin in the space near the emergency exits.
In 2016, a baby boy was gifted a lifetime of free rides after his mother gave birth on board a Buraq Air flight.
