A woman gave birth to a baby girl mid-flight on Friday, April 24, while her plane was scheduled to land 30 minutes later after a five-hour journey between Atlanta and Portland.
A Delta Air Lines passenger gave birth while the plane was still about thirty minutes away from its final destination, where it made an emergency landing on Monday, April 27, as stated by the American airline company.
The pregnant woman had boarded the flight on Friday in Atlanta, Georgia, for a little over a five-hour flight to Portland, Oregon, with an expected arrival around 10 pm local time.
According to the airline company, the baby girl was born while the plane still had about half an hour of flight to go. Media outlets published photos of the mother and the newborn on Monday.
“We thank the crew and medical volunteers on board who intervened to provide care to a passenger before landing in Portland,” Delta said in a statement to AFP, wishing “all the best to the new family.”
Crews trained and professional passengers
Crew members assisted the passenger, as well as a doctor and two nurses who were all part of the 153 passengers on flight DL478.
The plane also carried two pilots and four flight attendants, who undergo training to handle such situations.
Emergency services on the ground were awaiting after the problem-free landing, which was prioritized by the control tower.
Airlines sometimes impose restrictions on pregnancies, refusing to board passengers beyond a certain period before the expected delivery date and/or requiring a medical certificate. According to its website, Delta does not impose either of these limitations.
