For those of us with fears of flying and confined spaces, jetting off in an airplane is not exactly the most comfortable way to spend an afternoon. If you count yourself among that club, then spare a thought for the woman in the following story.
Cabin crew on board a Jet Airways flight from Saudi Arabia to India were forced to step in when a woman went into premature labour on the plane.
According to a report by the BBC, the unidentified woman was attended by the crew as well as another passenger who, luckily, turned out to be a trained nurse.
The passenger was 35,000 feet up in the air when her baby son was born.
The pilot landed the Boeing 737 plane in Mumbai, and both mother and child were rushed to hospital where they are said to be doing well.
In a statement, management at the Indian airline paid tribute to its crew for their quick-thinking actions.
“Jet Airways commends its crew for their response and promptness that saw them successfully translate their training into life-saving action,” a rep said.
This was the first time that a baby had been born in-flight for the airline, and they chose to mark the occasion appropriately – by offering the newborn free flight tickets for life!
Of course, while this was a first for Jet Airways, we are well used to hearing stories of tiny tots born thousands of feet in the air.
Last year, a woman went into labour on a Jetstar Asia flight from Singapore to Myanmar. Luckily for her, there were three off-duty doctors on board the plane, and they helped to deliver her little one safely.
Inspired by his unusual birth circumstances, the new mother decided to name her son Saw Jet Star!
Elsewhere, a passenger took to Facebook to share a photo of a woman holding her new baby, having given birth during their flight to the Philippines.
“Very lucky baby…since she was born in a Cebu Pac plane, she is awarded 1,000,000 Get Go Points from the airline. Congratulations to the first-time mum,” wrote Missy Berberable Umandal.
“This is something you don’t get to see every day. It only happens in movies, and we’re lucky to witness this miracle.”
Congratulations to the new mother on the Saudi Arabia flight – we’re guessing that her little one will be very well-travelled!
