Mid-flight surprise: baby girl born at 18,000 feet on Brussels–Castellón flight
A routine Ryanair flight from Brussels (CRL) to Castellón, Spain (flight FR4797), turned extraordinary on Thursday, May 8, when a passenger went into labour mid-air and gave birth to a baby girl at 18,000 feet.
Shortly after take-off, the expectant mother, a Spanish national, began experiencing contractions, and soon after, her waters broke. The crew swiftly alerted the captain, who made the decision to divert to the nearest suitable airport. The aircraft was rerouted and made a quick landing at Limoges Airport (LIG) in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France.
Emergency services were ready and waiting upon arrival. According to Huffington Post, firefighters, a SMUR intensive care ambulance with an incubator, a SMUR paramedic, a doctor, a midwife, and an anaesthetic nurse were all dispatched to assist. However, by the time the aircraft touched down, the baby girl had already been born safely on board.
Both mother and newborn were transported to a nearby hospital immediately after landing and are reported to be in excellent health.
