About to have a baby? Congratulations! Now, please keep your feet on the ground.
A passenger on a US Airways flight from Philadelphia to Charlotte, North Carolina, had to make a stop in Greensboro when she went into labor on Tuesday, according to CNN affiliate WXII.
Thankfully, the baby, named Nylah, waited until her mother had landed to arrive on airport property. Mother and child were later transported to Women’s Hospital in Greensboro, where the hospital said both were doing well.
The flight took off for Charlotte after the woman left the aircraft.
There have been a couple of airline-related births recently.
A child was born on Southwest Airlines Flight 623 shortly after takeoff on December 9. The aircraft departed from San Francisco bound for Phoenix but diverted to Los Angeles International Airport. A nurse and doctor on board assisted with the delivery.
On December 31, Delta Air Lines Flight 2566 from San Francisco to Minneapolis was diverted to Salt Lake City when a passenger went into labor during the flight. The woman was taken by the local fire department to the University of Utah Hospital, where she gave birth to a boy.
US Airways requires passengers with a due date within seven days of flight to provide a doctor’s certificate, dated within 72 hours of departure, “stating that he or she has examined you and determined that you are fit to fly.”
If the mother on Tuesday’s flight had been flying American Airlines, which owns US Airways, she might not have been able to travel. American hasn’t created a single policy for both brands, and its policy is more restrictive. A medical certificate is required for travelers wishing to fly within four weeks of their delivery dates “in a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy,” according to the airline’s website.
She couldn’t travel on domestic American flights of less than five hours within seven days before and after a the delivery date without a medical certificate and permission from the airline.
Delta Air Lines doesn’t restrict pregnant women from flying, but the airline doesn’t waive ticket change fees and penalties for pregnancy. It recommends that pregnant travelers check with their doctors after the eighth month of pregnancy.
Southwest Airlines recommends that female travelers consult with their doctors before traveling at any stage of pregnancy and warns specifically against air travel beginning at the 38th week of pregnancy.
Southwest goes into even more detail. “While air travel does not usually cause problems during pregnancy unless delivery is expected within 14 days or less, in some cases, traveling by air has been known to cause complications or premature labor.
“Depending on their physical condition, strength, and agility, pregnant women may, in some cases, be asked not to sit in the emergency exit row.”