'Well-Trained' Airline Staff Helps Passenger Deliver Baby Mid-Flight, Takes Care Of Newborn

A Middle East Airlines-Air Liban flight from Doha to Beirut was diverted to Kuwait on Saturday after a passenger gave birth to a baby girl mid-flight.

Confirming the news in a Facebook post, the airline said, “The professional and well-trained crew delivered the women according to procedures and took good care of the baby until the plane landed.”

Speaking to USA Today, Rima Mikaoui, director of public relations for the airline, said, "Announcements were made to check if there was any doctor on board to assist with the delivery, but no doctors were on board that flight. MEA Cabin Crew handled the situation and all went well, the baby was delivered on board and was well taken care of. The flight was diverted to Kuwait where the mother and the baby born disembarked to receive medical attention; the flight resumed its operation to Beirut."

The Facebook post which congratulated the crew “for the great job they have done” along with a photo of crew members with the newborn has since gone viral with over 1,000 shares.

In a similar incident in October, a passenger aboard an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta, Indonesia, gave birth to a baby mid-air, forcing the flight to be diverted to the Indian city of Mumbai. Upon arrival, the woman was rushed to a local hospital where she and the baby were listed stable.

“The passenger delivered a female child about 40 minutes before landing. As soon as airport staff was informed about the situation, a medical team was kept on standby, which attended to the passenger immediately post the landing,” a Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson said, adding that the doctors at the airport provided the necessary medical assistance after which the mother and the baby were rushed to a hospital in an ambulance.