Baby born on flight gets free travel for life
A newborn baby boy was gifted free flights for his entire life after he came into the world a bit prematurely on Jet Airways.
The boy’s mother was flying from Dammam, in Saudi Arabia, to Kochi when she went into labor at 35,000 feet. Although the flight was diverted to Mumbai, the mother delivered before the plane could land — with the help of a cabin crew member and a fellow passenger, who happened to be a trained nurse, BBC reported.
“Jet Airways commends its crew for their response and promptness that saw them successfully translate their training into life saving action,” the airline said in a statement.
This tiny bundle of joy isn’t the only baby to make his arrival midair. In fact, as the Independent noted, five other infants were born on commercial flights in the last year. However, the baby boy born last weekend marked the first delivery on a Jet Airways flight. To celebrate his arrival the airline bestowed upon the boy the free unconditional travel pass for the rest of his life.
And not every baby born in the air is as lucky as this little man. In 2016, a pregnant woman unexpectedly went into labor on a Jetstar flight from Singapore to Rangoon. The woman was so grateful for the successful delivery of her child that she named him after the airline. But, instead of providing a lifetime of travel, the airline donated $1,000 worth of baby supplies to the family.
Although many airlines have different rules and requirements for flying while pregnant, the National Institute of Health explained that existing data does not confirm any increased risks for otherwise healthy pregnant women traveling by air. However, pregnant women with specific medical conditions that might be exacerbated by a hypoxic environment, or those who are at risk for preterm labour, should avoid flying whenever possible.
