Reports from Italy reveal that a woman traveling from Dubai to Milan gave birth to a healthy baby boy while on board the Emirates Airbus A380-800 on Saturday night. The surprise birth took place at an altitude of approximately 10,000 meters over Iran.
The mother and newborn were met by medical professionals from Varese equipped with a mobile neonatal intensive care unit upon their arrival at Milan’s Malpensa airport. The new mom received assistance from a surgeon who happened to be a passenger on the flight during the delivery.
Both the mom and baby have relatives residing in northern Italy, according to news agency ANSA. They are currently in good health and being cared for at the Filippo Del Ponte hospital in Varese.
The couple was later quoted as saying,
“We thank the doctor on the plane and the hospital staff for saving our baby boy.”
Weighing in at around 6lbs, the baby was born full-term, raising questions about how the woman was able to board the flight in the first place.
Emirates doesn’t allow expectant moms to fly after the 32nd week of a multiple pregnancy or the 36th week of a single pregnancy.
Air Arabia allows travel until 35 weeks if the expectant woman provides a medical certificate indicating the number of weeks of her pregnancy. After 36 weeks, they are not allowed to travel.
Fly Dubai allows normal travel of expectant mothers until the end of 28 weeks. Traveling after 28 weeks is not allowed, unless with an official medical report sufficient to Fly Dubai. After the end of 36 weeks, traveling is not allowed.
Etihad Airways notes that women expecting one or multiple children can travel during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy without a medical certificate. From the beginning of the 29th week to the end of the 36th week, they need to submit a medical certificate. From the beginning of the 37th week onwards, they would not be accepted for travel.
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