Flight passenger gives birth before plane lands

A recent Delta Air Lines flight gained an unexpected passenger when a woman suddenly went into labour mid-flight.

A recent Delta flight from Atlanta to Oregon gained an additional passenger, after a woman gave birth aboard the aircraft.

ABC News reports that a baby was delivered at cruising altitude as the plane was about to land in Portland. Crew members, along with a doctor and two nurses who were onboard, helped safely delivery the newborn.

Once the plane landed, mother and baby were met by emergency crews on the ground and were reported to be in stable condition.

While Delta said it doesn’t restrict passengers who are pregnant from flying, the airline recommends they speak to a doctor about travel, particularly at later stages of pregnancy. It added that crews go through in-depth medical training to help with situations like this.

“We extend our sincere thanks to the crew and medical volunteers on board who stepped in to provide care to a customer on board prior to landing in Portland,” the airline said. “We wish the new family all the best.”

This isn’t the first baby to be delivered this month on an in-flight airplane. On April 4, a woman gave birth aboard a flight bound for JFK Airport in New York. When air traffic control checked to make sure the mother was OK, they suggested the woman name her child Kennedy, after the airport.