Baby on board: US woman gives birth on cross-country flight

NEW YORK – A Delta Air Lines flight got a surprise passenger when a pregnant woman on board gave birth before the plane arrived at its final destination, the US airline said on April 27.

The five-hour flight was heading from the south-eastern city of Atlanta, Georgia on the evening of April 24 to the north-western city of Portland, Oregon, where it was scheduled to arrive around 10pm local time.

The baby apparently could not wait that long, according to the airline, and was born while the flight still had about 30 minutes to go.

“We extend our sincere thanks to the crew and medical volunteers on board who stepped in to provide care to a customer onboard prior to landing in Portland,” a Delta Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to AFP, adding that they “wish the new family all the best.”

Two nurses and a doctor who happened to be among the 153 passengers on the flight assisted with the birth.

The flight’s four cabin crew members also helped, with Delta Air Lines saying they “undergo comprehensive medical training to assist during situations like this.”

The crew called air traffic control for an emergency landing, and they were met with emergency medical personnel upon arriving on the ground.

A Port of Portland spokesperson said mother and baby arrived in stable condition.

Some airlines have restrictions on when pregnant women can fly, refusing passengers to fly within a certain time frame of their expected due date or requiring a doctor’s certificate, but Delta imposes neither such limitations.

US media on April 27 shared photos of the woman and her newborn, a baby girl. AFP