According to AFP, the 31-year-old passenger of the plane, which was flying from Penang-Kuching (Malaysia) on Wednesday, October 21, gave birth to a son when the plane flew over Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of about 610 meters.
The birth of a Malay woman was taken by a doctor who happened to be among the passengers, who was assisted by the crew of the plane. According to the airline, the childbirth went without complications. Upon landing, the mother and newborn were taken to the nearest hospital.
According to one of the directors of AirAsia, in honor of the solemn event, the baby and his mother were given the right to fly free of charge by airplanes of this company all their lives, like the first child born on board its plane.
This is not the first time that a successful childbirth has occurred on board an aircraft. So, in 2007, one of the women on board the Belgian airline Brussels Airlines, which was flying on the Kinshasa-Brussels route, also had a premature birth, which was received by two doctors who were among the passengers. Then the newborn girl was named after the crew commander.
At the same time, airlines do not encourage the practice of childbirth on board the aircraft due to the fact that in the event of an emergency, it will not be possible to reanimate a newborn. A number of carriers have imposed strict restrictions on the carriage of pregnant women. For example, Air France and Lufthansa do not allow women who are more than 36 weeks pregnant on board. And Iberia only allows flights with a period of 34 weeks or more if accompanied by a doctor.
Passport change and border checks are far from the easiest tasks for Shauna Owen due to unusual place her birth is about 36 thousand feet above the ground. Customs officers are constantly surprised when they see the entry in her passport: "The holder was born on an airplane."
Shona's story
Shona is a representative of a small community of people who came to this world in extremely dramatic ways. In 1990, pregnant Debbie Owen, accompanied by her four-year-old daughter Claire, flew from Ghana, where she worked, to London. Suddenly there was a surprise - she started having contractions. She was moved to first class, completely freed from passengers, and an announcement was made for all people with medical training to report it.
The expectant mother was lucky - the Dutch doctor Wim Bakker, who helped a woman in Ghana to give birth simply in the bushes, was on board. Desperate that she would be left alone with two children if the plane was forced to land in Africa, Debbie struggled to get to London. On the approach to Gatwick airport with the curtains drawn, soft music, with her own doctor and a whole salon at the disposal of Sean Christie Ives (in English her initials look like SKY, which translates as "heaven") was born, increasing the number of passengers on board for one. “I’ve always been told that I was born to travel and now I work in the travel industry,” said Shona, who is currently the head of internet marketing for a major travel operator. "This is a very good story that everyone is interested in listening to."
Community born in the sky
And that story also became a topic that Shona decided to focus on when she wrote her dissertation.
“When I tell this story, I am always asked how rare or how many children were born on the plane. And I don't have an answer, ”Shauna said. - Therefore, when I was preparing my diploma, I thought that this is a great chance to spend six months studying how many of us there are in the world. It was really fun to read all the stories and interact with the people born on board the plane. My mom met another woman who gave birth in the air, I talked to the pilots, and as a result, a kind of community is already being created. "
Strict rules
She also contacted Debs Lowther, who gave birth to her son Jonathan just four months before Sean herself was born, and the circumstances were unusually similar - she also flew from Africa to the UK, while aboard the same aircraft operator. Most airlines do not keep statistics on births on board, so it is very difficult to accurately calculate everything, but Shona's story is definitely rare, as all airlines have strict rules regarding pregnant women and their children. Although conditions vary from case to case, most operators will allow pregnant women to board the plane until the 36th week of pregnancy, but from the 28th week onwards, they need to have a signed paper from the doctor with them, which will indicate the date of birth. But, despite this, such situations do happen.
Nationality issue
One of the main questions that arises when a child is born on board an aircraft is his nationality. Citizenship laws differ from country to country. For example, in the UK, children born in the country do not automatically acquire citizenship - they only receive it if the parents are British, that is, the so-called “blood right”. In the United States of America, even if a child is born in the water or airspace of a country, he automatically obtains American citizenship in accordance with the "right of the land."
Flying by plane is always convenient, fast and high quality, albeit expensive. Nevertheless, the plane raises you to a serious height, so it is no wonder that passengers are experiencing, even the most stress-resistant, especially now, when plane crashes occur over and over again. Nevertheless, this method of transportation is considered the most comfortable and safest, despite the stress. It's another matter if the passenger is a pregnant woman in the last months of pregnancy. The pressure from flying together with stress can trigger childbirth, and this has been proven time and again. In fact, it is better to refrain from air travel. Although, even if the birth takes place in the air, it turns out that there are advantages here, with which we will now figure it out.
If a woman gives birth on board an airplane in the air, her child is subsequently entitled to three citizenships, namely:
- the baby can become a citizen of the country where the airline is located, on whose plane the birth took place;
- the baby can become a citizen of the country over which he was born;
- the kid can become a citizen of the country where the plane landed.
Only this decision is made by the airline itself. As a rule, the child becomes a citizen of the country whose airline sent him on the plane to the sky, where his mother gave birth to him.
But this is not the only positive aspect of having an airplane birth!
A child born on board an airplane gets a lifetime right to fly free of charge! Indeed, this is quite real, even though no legislation or any country mentions such a decision. It's just that for some time now, airlines based around the world have been practicing a similar solution, so to speak, a bonus. Naturally, there are also limitations. For example, a child has the right to make free flights only 10 times a year, no more.
There are a lot of cases of babies born on board the plane, and therefore airlines are taking appropriate measures. By the way, shipping companies are also no exception.
All of this is good and positive, of course, but in reality, no airline encourages childbirth on an airplane. This is understandable, because childbirth does not always go smoothly, and in which case there is no proper equipment to save the life of both the mother and the newborn. In view of this, certain companies have introduced some prohibitions in this regard. For example, women who are more than 34 weeks pregnant are not allowed on board, or a woman can board, but only if there is a specialist next to her. Not all companies practice this, but it is!
If you are soon preparing to become a mother, it is best to take with you on board the plane:
- mobile phone, where the contacts of relatives are indicated;
- Sterile film, which is sold in any pharmacy;
- Card with pregnancy statements.
- Sterile gloves;
- Cotton wool.
These items may come in handy during your flight, so it's best to keep them in your carry-on baggage. Naturally, you will have to leave your mobile phone. All this goodness takes up little space, so it does not restrict you.
How to behave on board
The flight attendant should be aware of your situation and should always come to your aid in case of contractions or when the waters recede to provide first aid and report the incident to the crew commander. He only decides what to do next: to land the plane at a nearby airport, or to give birth during the flight.
In general, in this situation, it is best to fly with an invited doctor. But if there is none, and there were no specialists on board, you should not be upset either. The fact is that all the flight attendants, during their training, also took appropriate courses, that is, they will be able to take delivery, if anything.
It turns out, again, everything depends on the crew commander. If he can land the plane at the nearest airport, then a medical team will meet you upon landing. But here you have to endure until the landing, whatever the cost. If not, the flight attendants will try to find a specialist among the passengers. If there are no such people on board, then they themselves will cope, since the situation is hopeless.
Labor process
The main thing is not to worry or panic, and everything will go well.
Nature has made sure that women can give birth even in the most extreme conditions. If you are giving birth on an airplane, try not to be nervous, as this can make the situation worse. First of all, you need to take care of emptying the bladder with the intestines. Passengers will be dropped from you, creating the most comfortable environment and oxygen access. Give the sterile film to the flight attendant or the doctor who will be giving birth, as all other medications, such as iodine, gloves, scissors, and so on, must be in the cabin anyway. Observe correct breathing, namely, short inhalation - exhalation, long inhalation - exhalation, etc.
So, the child was born. First of all, using a bandage, you need to clean the mouth and nose, and then cut the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is cut approximately 10-15 centimeters from the body. You, in turn, should not rise to your feet. It is necessary to wait for the release of the placenta, which will happen in about half an hour.
The most important thing is that the child was born healthy and the mother was not harmed. After landing, both of them will be taken to the hospital for examination - this is a mandatory procedure, so there is no need to arise.
In general, do you need this risk? After all, it is much more comfortable to give birth on the ground, and not in the air! Take a note.
Childbirth in water has long become a common occurrence. And lately, you will not surprise anyone with childbirth in the air. Until airlines ban boarding for pregnant women in their ninth month, such incidents will continue over and over again. Not only for the mother of the "heavenly newborn", but also for other passengers, and especially for the crew of the plane, such childbirth becomes an adventure. Especially if there is no doctor on board.
Although sky births are less common, airlines have included midwifery courses in flight attendant training.
The parents of "heavenly babies" often give their children airline names. In 2004, a girl was born on a Virgin plane and named Virginia. In turn, the company also made a gift to the baby. Until the age of 21, she is entitled to fly free of charge on Virgin airlines.
In the United States, the opinion is that the birth of a child must be registered in the country where the company is registered. This territorial law only applies if the child was born while the plane was crossing the ocean.
Also in the United States there is another law according to which a child who is born in US airspace automatically receives American citizenship.
In many countries, there is a law under which a newborn will receive the same citizenship as his parents.
Under international law, when registering a child, the “longitude and latitude” of the place of birth is also recorded. In some countries, the child is registered in the country in which the plane landed with the mother and the newborn. Similar laws apply to newborns in the territorial waters of countries.
Many airlines have introduced a number of restrictions on pregnant passengers. Women with a pregnancy of more than 36 weeks are not allowed to fly. Airlines ask for a certificate. In companies Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Turkish Airlines, pregnant women are asked to present a doctor's certificate, which states that the woman has no contraindications for flying. These airlines do not allow pregnant women on board after 36 weeks of pregnancy, and if there is more than one fetus - after 32 weeks. Air Berlin and Air Canada prohibit flights for pregnant women one month before their baby is born. The estimated date must be indicated on the medical certificate.
Iberia does not impose any restrictions on pregnant women. But she strongly advises avoiding flights if there is less than a month left before the baby is born.
Delta Airlines does not prohibit moms-to-be from flying. But the money for the change or cancellation of the ticket due to pregnancy does not return.
What if the baby was born on the plane? updated: November 18, 2019 by: Antonina Kovalchuk
A child born on board a Jet Airways plane received a lifetime right to fly free of charge on this company's liners. This was reported by The Times of India.
Josie Sisimol's contractions began on a flight from Saudi Arabia to India at an altitude of over 10,000 meters. The woman was in her 30th week of pregnancy. The airliner pilots decided to make an emergency landing. The liner, heading to the city of Kochi in the south-west of the country, was sent to Mumbai. However, Josie managed to give birth about half an hour before landing.
Among the passengers on board was a doctor who, together with the flight attendants, came to the aid of the woman. No problems arose during the boy's time. The woman in labor and her son, who received a life pass, were sent to the hospital immediately after the plane landed.
This is the first such incident on board a carrier, according to Jet Airways.
It is noted that most airlines allow pregnant women to fly up to 36 weeks, but after 28 weeks of pregnancy they require a letter signed by a doctor.
TO THIS TOPIC
In October 2012 on board an aircraft en route from Simferopol to Moscow. The plane of JSC "Aeroflot - Russian Airlines" made an emergency landing in Kharkov.
During the flight, the woman's water suddenly broke. The birth was taken by the crew members and the nurse, who was among the passengers. Immediately after landing, the mother and the newborn girl were examined by doctors, then they were taken to the nearest maternity hospital.
