Premature baby born on Jazeera Airways flight

Jazeera Airways flight J9506 en route to Alexandria, Egypt had an unusual in-flight experience Wednesday when an 8-months pregnant traveller realized she was going to deliver in mid-air, less than hour away from landing at Burj Al Arab Airport.

Mrs. Heba Majdy boarded the flight in Kuwait after obtaining a written doctor’s approval that clears her to fly since she is not due to deliver for another four weeks. The baby, however, had different plans.

It all started at 30,000 feet in the air and fifty minutes away from Burj Al Arab Airport when Mrs. Majdy began to feel uneasy and called for assistance. 

Senior Cabin Crew Mr. Sameer Kazi immediately attended to her. Seconds later she told him: “I think I’m having a baby!”

Kazi, a father himself, alerted the 49 year old Captain Nasser Al Ajmy who quickly got on the PA and said the most infamous airline cliché: “is there a doctor on board?”

Luckily, there was a doctor on board and he was Dr. Mohammad Al Saleh, a well reputed gynaecologist and maternity specialist, who was heading to the Egyptian beach city for a short vacation. The Doctor “like a superhero jumped out of his seat and asked for the on-board medical kit,” said Kazi.

Meanwhile in the cockpit, the captain started his decent and radioed-in the airport’s tower requesting a shorter landing route and emergency support after landing. By this time, the flight was 40 minutes away from landing.

Back in the cabin Dr. Al Saleh had already recruited Kazi and Cabin Crew Melanie Arnosa to assist him in the delivery. Together, they moved her to the forward cabin for added privacy and with the assistance of advanced medical equipment on board they created a make-shift delivery room in mid-air.

Twenty minutes later as the Airbus A320 was in its final landing approach the captain got on the PA again and announced that a baby girl was born. The captain then asked the cheering travellers to put on their seat belt, bring their seats back to their upright positions, and prepare for landing.

Upon arrival a medical team welcomed the mother and daughter and transported them to the nearest hospital, where she received post-delivery care.

On Thursday, Jazeera Airways Chairman and CEO Marwan Boodai called the father out of concern for the health of the mother and daughter. The father told Boodai that both mother and daughter were discharged from the hospital late Wednesday and are now recuperating at home with the family. 

Boodai congratulated the father on his new born, and presented the family with free flights for the baby until she was 18. The father told Boodai they name the girl Nancy.

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