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Baby born mid-air in Mumbai-bound Air India Express plane, cabin crew assists delivery
Air India Express said that it is in contact with the Consulate General of Thailand in Mumbai to help the woman's return to her home country.
A baby boy was born mid-air on the Mumbai-bound Air India Express flight from Muscat, with the airline's cabin crew and a nurse, who was among the passengers on board, assisting with the delivery.
"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...the crew supported the guest through the delivery with empathy and professionalism," the airline said in a press release.
Pilots alerted the Air Traffic Control to request an urgent landing at the Mumbai airport, where medical teams and an ambulance were on standby to transport the woman and her baby to a nearby hospital. A female airline staff member accompanied the woman to the hospital to ensure continued support.
Air India Express said that it is in contact with the Consulate General of Thailand in Mumbai to help the woman's return to her home country.
In February this year, a woman went into labor shortly after the takeoff of a Brussels Airlines plane from Senegal's Dakar. A flight attendant, along with a doctor on board, assisted in the safe delivery of the baby.
The airline heaped praise on the crew member, Joie, for her 'true professionalism and care'.
“The first few moments were tense—was she okay? Was she breathing? And then, the most beautiful sound filled the cabin: her first cry. A doctor on board confirmed she was healthy, and relief washed over everyone,” the airline had shared on social media.
Later, Joie, who is also a mother, shared that cabin crew members are trained for emergency situations, including childbirth. However, she said, nothing can fully prepare someone for the real thing.
In a similar story from 2020, a Thai woman delivered a boy mid-air aboard a Qatar Airways plane from Doha, which had to make an emergency landing at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport.
The flight, carrying 352 passengers, was headed towards Bangkok.
