Attention passengers, please prepare for an emergency birth on board.
One baby’s birth story took flight after her mom went into labor on a Brussels Airline flight which had taken off from Dakar in West Africa.
The woman started complaining of pain shortly after the flight took off, with one member of cabin crew, Jennifer, realizing it was not stomach pain – but contractions.
The passenger had alerted staff that she was pregnant and the pilot made the decision to turn the plane around and go back to Dakar – however, the baby couldn’t wait, making her grand entrance into the world onboard the plane.
Thankfully, there were medical professionals onboard, who made sure the baby was delivered safely.
In a post shared to LinkedIn by Brussels Airlines, baby Fanta was delivered with the help of a recently graduated nurse who was also on the flight, who timed her contractions after her water broke.
‘The first moments were tense — was she okay? Was she breathing?’ the post read.
‘And then, the most beautiful sound filled the cabin: her first cry,’ they continued. ‘A doctor on board confirmed she was healthy, and relief washed over everyone.’
Flight attendant, Jennifer, soon realized it was not stomach pain the woman was experiencing- but contractions
Jennifer, who held the newborn infant as they traveled back to Dakar, said although you train for ‘everything’ as a crew member – even childbirth, nothing can prepare you for an actual birth midflight.
‘We stayed calm, worked as a team, and followed our procedures,’ she recalled, describing the surreal moment the baby was born as ‘magical.’
‘If I hadn’t become a cabin crew member, I think I would have been a midwife,’ she added.
Jennifer said landing in Dakar holding baby Fanta is a moment she’ll never forget.
‘Stories like these remind us that being cabin crew is more than just flying — it’s about caring for people, no matter the situation,’ they concluded the post.
Last year a doctor on board a flight from Jordan to London helped deliver a baby mid-air before the jet was forced to land in Italy.
Hassan Khan revealed he was flying home from a holiday in Amman on Saturday morning when the flight crew called for a doctor.
According to the doctor, the expecting mother was lying on the floor outside the cockpit after her waters had broken.
The mom went into labor on a Brussels Airline flight which had taken off from Dakar in West Africa (stock image)
Hassan said the Jordanian woman did not speak any English and another passenger had to translate during the delivery.
‘I told the flight attendants what equipment I needed – which would include an oxygen mask, a clamp for the umbilical chord and a stethoscope – none of which they had on a plane, of course,’ Hassan told BBC.
He revealed he had only used towels during the ‘miraculous’ delivery of the baby girl.
The doctor of four years, who luckily had experience in neonatal resuscitation, said he also managed to relax the panicked mother after reassuring her through the translator that he had worked with newborns before.
Following the baby chaos, the Wizz Air flight was diverted to Brindisi Airport, in southern Italy, so the 38-year-old mother and her baby could be taken to Perrino hospital.
Hassan joked he was late to his shift because of the unexpected diversion, but his employers were impressed with his quick-thinking.
