A mother who was seven months pregnant when she boarded a flight from Dubai to the Philippines probably didn’t think she’d be giving birth to her daughter a few hours after taking off.
But that’s exactly what happened earlier this month.
According to a Facebook post shared by one of the passengers, the woman went into labour a mere five hours after her Cebu Pacific Air flight left Dubai.
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“For once in my life, I saw flight attendants, who are meant to always maintain their poise and composure, panic ever so slightly. Flight attendants started calling for medical assistance, and luckily, there were two nurses among the passengers,” wrote Facebook user Missy Berberabe Umandal of the event.
The flight team ended up moving the mom-to-be, who happened to be travelling with her mother, to a part of the plane where she had more room. From there, the labour was reportedly short and sweet.
“We only heard one semi-loud screech, and a few seconds later, there were tinier, cute screeches, and it was when we knew the baby was born,” added Berberabe Umandal. “Luckily, she only had to push ONCE. Moments later, the woman got up to go back to her seat, baby in arms (mighty strong, I might say).”
Once the little girl arrived, flight attendants rinsed her off with some mineral water, while another passenger offered up free baby clothing. The plane was also re-routed to India so the mother and newborn could receive medical care.
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In honour of the birth, Travel + Leisure reports Cebu Pacific gave the new baby girl, whose name is reportedly Haven, free flights for life. In her post, Berberabe Umandal noted it was one million air miles.
Either way, that’s quite the “push present.”
According to Conde Nast Traveler, the tradition of gifting free air miles/flights to a baby born mid-air is common in Asia; Thai Airways, Asia Pacific Airlines and Air Asia have all offered up free flights in the past.
As CNN notes, few international airlines mark a birth in the same way. While Virgin Atlantic once granted a baby free flights until they were 21, another tot born on a British Airways plane received two free first-class tickets to Australia on her 18th birthday.
In her post, Berberabe Umandal also raised a question about the baby’s citizenship. What country will the air-born baby receive a passport from?
The answer… it’s complicated.
Each country has its own rules and regulations about what to do in these rare instances. In the U.S., for example, anyone born within the country’s airspace (or on American waterways) is deemed an American citizen. Other countries follow the principle of jus soli, which states the child will acquire the citizenship of their parent(s), not the country they arrive in.
READ MORE: How can a woman not know she’s pregnant? Surprise births rare, but do happen
And while that question may still be up in the air, it appears the delivery was a welcome surprise for everyone.
Berberabe Umandal’s post features a shot of the new mom and her baby cuddling by one of the airline’s windows.
She went on to end her message with this: “To the woman, in the hopes she gets to read this: we understand you are resting and giving time to take care of your baby, but we are all hoping for your quick recovery and a lifetime of happiness to your beautiful child! And Mom, this experience made me appreciate you so so so much more than I already do. When my future children ask me what my greatest memory with my mother was, I would tell them of this extraordinary moment we shared.”