A woman who unexpectedly gave birth on a Turkish Airlines flight is now a proud mom to a healthy, baby girl thanks to the immediate help of the crew.
On Friday, Nafi Diaby was flying from Guinea to Istanbul via Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso when she went into labour shortly after take-off, BBC reported.
“The cabin crew noticed that a woman passenger named Nafi Diaby, [who was] 28 weeks into her pregnancy, was suffering childbirth pains,” Turkish Airlines said in a statement. “They promptly responded to assist her childbirth during the flight.”
Diaby welcomed her daughter, Kadiju, at 42,000 feet in the air.
“The mother gave birth while standing, and we received help from several other passengers,” flight attendant Bouthayna Inanır told The Sun U.K.
The crew then proceeded to celebrate Kadiju’s birth by taking sweet photos together. Turkish Airlines shared the images on Twitter.
Once the plane landed in Burkina Faso’s capital, the mom and baby were rushed to hospital to be kept under observation. Turkish Airlines later reported that Diaby and her newborn are doing well.
On social media, many wondered what the baby’s nationality would be on her birth certificate considering she was born mid-flight.
This is a tricky question because the truth is that it depends. Alastair Bonnett, a professor of Social Geography at England’s Newcastle University, states that in some instances, if you are born on a plane, you become the nationality of where the plane originated. For example, if your flight departs from Norway, you become Norwegian.
However, that’s not the only factor to consider. There’s also which nation you were born over and your own parents’ nationality. In the U.S., for example, if you are born over the country’s waters or airspace, then you become a U.S. citizen, CNN reports.
Diaby’s story also had many wondering what the rules were for flying while pregnant.
While every airline is different, Turkish Airlines’ website states that expectant moms between 28 to 35 weeks pregnant need a doctor’s note that specifically states, “There is no particular reason for the patient not to fly.” Anyone 36 weeks and over are barred from flying.
These rules are actually a lot stricter than Canadian airlines, who don’t have as many restrictions. According to Baby Centre Canada, there are only restrictions around the last month of pregnancy (meaning 35 to 40 weeks), but many recommend moms-to-be check in with their doctor before flying, regardless of their due date.
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