Woman gives birth on board a long-haul flight

zainab quadri

October 14, 2015 1:36 PM

A Taiwanese woman gave birth to a baby girl on board a China Airlines flight from Taipei to Los Angeles, after she unexpectedly went into labour.

The woman, whom the carrier said was not yet 32 weeks pregnant, informed the crew six hours into the 19-hour flight that her water had broken.

According to the China Post, the pilot immediately diverted to Alaska's Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport but the woman, who was alone, gave birth 30 minutes before the plane landed.

The baby girl was delivered by a doctor who happened to be on the flight from Bali on Thursday.

The plane made an emergency landing in Alaska where the mother and baby were both taken to hospital.

Mother and baby were sent to a local hospital in healthy condition, while the plane refueled and continued its journey, arriving in Los Angeles three hours behind schedule.

Passenger Amira Rajput posted a minute-long video of the birth on her YouTube channel, which has since racked up close to 300,000 views.

A flight attendant was seen holding the newborn wrapped in a blanket, while her colleagues huddled around the mother. Passengers could also be heard in the background clapping and cheering.

Ms Rajput, speaking to ABC News, said the mother was "tough as nails" and bit down on blankets to prevent herself from screaming.

"It was super chill. People were super quiet and calm so that this woman could have a stress-free experience," she said.

China Airlines reportedly sent its staff to visit the woman in hospital, and presented a red envelope to wish the pair well.

But questions have been raised over the carrier's decision to allow such a heavily pregnant woman on the flight, which could have put her in danger.

Ms Rajput, who first spotted the woman in a bathroom at Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport, had noted: "She was huge. I thought, what is she doing flying?"

There is also the question of the baby girl's nationality: The Civil Aeronautics Administration said that as she was born in US airspace aboard a Chinese plane, whether she becomes a US or Chinese citizen will hinge on the birth certificate issued by the hospital.