Passengers aboard a Finnair flight from Bangkok to Helsinki got a bit of a surprise yesterday when one of their fellow passenger went into labor.
Flightcrew stepped in and provided the new mom with privacy at the back of the plane. Because of limited supplies, there is no medication to relieve pain.
Two doctors and two nurses who were among the passengers handled the delivery with the assistance of a doctor from the MedLink medical service who took them through the proceedings via satellite phone.
It is not known yet how premature the Swedish baby’s birth was.
Pregnant passengers beynd their 28th week of pregnancy must provide a doctor’s certificate confirming that the pregnancy has proceeded normally. However, pregnant passengers may travel up to the end of their 36th week, and on Finnair’s short domestic and Scandinavian flights they may travel up to the end of the 38th week, provided that the pregnancy has proceeded normally.
Giving birth on a plane is not so uncommon worldwide, but for Finnair the occasion was unique, since no birth has ever taken place on one of their flights before.
The airline gave its firstborn a bouquet of flowers and her parents received complimentary return tickets to Bangkok.
As a bonus, the baby will have a special place of birth on her passport, as the United Nations recommend that if a baby is born during a flight, the place of birth should be the same as the plane’s place of registration.
Related Articles:
