When Jose Cicymol boarded the Jet Airways flight in Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Sunday, she did not expect to alight with her child. She was actually hoping to reach Kochi to deliver her baby.
But when the aircraft was cruising at 35,000 feet, approaching India, she went into labour.
Flight 9W-569 declared a medical emergency and diverted to Mumbai, while the crew made an announcement, requesting any doctor on board to help. There was none. But Ms. Wilson, a paramedic nurse returning home to Kerala came forward.
Premature delivery
Ms. Cicymol’s male baby was delivered prematurely on the aircraft to cheers, and the mother-and-son were ferried to hospital upon landing in a waiting ambulance.
Ms. Cicymol works in Dammam and was 30 weeks pregnant when she took the flight at 3.10 a.m.
“It was an unexpected situation and a first for the airline,” a spokesperson said. The cabin crew comprising Mohammad Taj Hayath, Deborah Tavares, Isha Jayakar, Sushmita David, Catherine Lepcha, and Tejas Chavan joined Ms. Wilson to assist in the delivery.
“The crew cut the umbilical cord and did everything to keep the mother and child comfortable,” an official said. Being the first to be born on one of its flights, Jet Airways has offered the newborn a free lifetime pass on the airline. The mother and child were taken to Holy Spirit Hospital in Andheri, where doctors said they were doing well. The flight landed at Kochi after a two-and-a-half-hour delay.
A Jet spokesperson said Ms. Cicymol’s family members were informed. “We commend the crew for their promptness that saw them translate their training into life-saving action. The airline thanks Ms. Wilson for her guidance,” a spokesperson said.
Jet Airways allows women to fly up to 35 weeks of pregnancy with ‘fit to fly’ certificates and medical clearances depending on the type of pregnancy.
