The aviation industry is always full of developments – and, from time to time, surprises of a very human nature. On Sunday, August 7, flynas flight XY565 from Jeddah to Cairo landed with an extra passenger onboard after a young Egyptian woman went into labor during the flight. The birth proceeded without any complications, and both mother and baby were reportedly in good health when disembarking.
While cabin crew train for many emergencies, childbirth is not exactly among the top most expected scenarios. Thankfully, there was a doctor onboard the flight, which was operated by one of the airline’s Airbus A320neo aircraft. With the support of the crew, they delivered the baby boy, who was taken to the hospital along with his mother for further health checks after touching down at Cairo International Airport (CAI) at 07:17 local time.
Way rarer than one in a million
The reason why flight attendants do not need part-time midwife training is that a baby being born on an airplane happens incredibly rarely – only once in every 26 million passengers. However, the statistics may have risen somewhat due to the evacuation of Kabul during the Taliban’s takeover of the Afghani capital last year. According to Air Force Magazine, at least three babies were born on flights that were part of the airlift mission.
The circumstances surrounding the airlift were obviously very special, and one where pregnant women would even be prioritized when allocating space on board the aircraft. Under ordinary conditions, commercial airlines may have rules in place that say up until what time of the pregnancy they will allow passengers to fly with them.
Generally, air travel is considered to be safe before week 36 of the pregnancy. After week 37, the risk is naturally higher of going into labor, about five weeks earlier with a twin pregnancy. After week 28, airlines may also ask for a letter from the passenger’s doctor stating that they are not at risk of any complications.
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Healthcare professionals onboard are a big help
That being said, it does – obviously – happen. Just this May, a Frontier flight attendant was celebrated after helping a woman deliver a healthy baby girl on a flight between Denver and Orlando. In October last year, a baby boy entered the world at 30,000 feet on an Air India flight from London to Kochi, assisted by as many as two doctors and four nurses who were onboard the flight. The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, ended up diverting to Frankfurt as a result of the unexpected arrival, as it still had many hours to go to its destination.
Source: simpleflying.com