A woman passenger from Thailand gave birth to a baby boy onboard an Air India Express flight mid-air enroute to Mumbai from Muscat, the airline said Thursday.
In a press statement, Air India Expredd said that the delivery of the baby boy was done with the assistance of cabin crew, with support from a nurse who was also among one of the passengers.
“A Thai national woman gave birth mid-air aboard an Air India Express flight from Muscat to Mumbai. The delivery of the baby was assisted by the airline’s cabin crew, with support from a nurse among the guests on board,” Air India Express said.
“The moment the Thai national went into labour, the crew responded swiftly – drawing on their rigorous training to ensure a secure and compassionate environment for the birth,” it added.
The pilots alerted Air Traffic Control to request priority landing at Mumbai, where medical teams and an ambulance were ready on arrival.
Upon touchdown, both the woman and her baby were immediately transferred to a nearby hospital for further care. She was accompanied by a female airline staff member to provide support.
Passengers moved, makeshift delivery room created
According to a report by The Hindustan Times, as soon as the 29-year-old went into labour, the cabin crew jumped into action.
Passengers were asked to shift seats, and phones were put away to protect the privacy of the mother and her child.
At 3:15 am, with steady hands and hearts full of hope, a baby boy was born at 35,000 feet.
As soon as the plane landed at 4:02 am, a team of medics whisked away the mother and the baby to a nearby hospital.
“Air India Express is in touch with the Consulate General of Thailand in Mumbai to support the woman and her baby’s journey to Thailand,” AI Express said.
“She did not have a visa for India and was scheduled to board a connecting flight to Bangkok the same night,” HT reported quoting a source, who added, “Nature had other plans”.
Details about the number of passengers in the flight were not immediately available.