Doctor on holiday delivers baby at 35,000ft – BBC News

A doctor flying home from holiday has described the “miraculous” moment he helped a woman give birth mid-flight.

Hassan Khan said the flight from Amman, Jordan, to London Luton Airport, was two hours in on Saturday morning when the crew called for a doctor.

The 28-year-old, who works at Basildon Hospital in Essex, said the woman was lying on the floor outside the cockpit and her waters had broken.

She gave birth to a healthy girl, Dr Khan said.

The flight attendants told him the baby was only the 75th infant to be born on a commercial flight, he added.

He said the Wizz Air plane was diverted to Brindisi Airport, in southern Italy, so the 38-year-old woman and her child could be taken to hospital.

“I was actually late to my shift because of this diversion, but thankfully they were very impressed and wanted the full update,” said Dr Khan, who has been a doctor for four years.

“My consultant congratulated me and said it was a really good job.

“People were saying it was miraculous. I only realised how significant it was after I had the chance to process it all.”

Dr Khan said the Jordanian woman did not speak English and another person on the flight had to translate during her delivery.

He explained how his experience in neonatal resuscitation helped him bring the baby to full health after she came out “a little bit blue”.

“I told the flight attendants what equipment I needed – which would include a neonatal-sized oxygen mask, a clamp for the umbilical cord and a stethoscope – none of which they had on a plane, of course,” said Dr Khan, who used nothing but towels during the delivery.

“She was quite stressed about the whole situation but, through the translator, I managed to reassure her that I do have a bit of experience with newborns.”

The doctor said the family updated him from the hospital to say both the mum and baby were in a good condition.

“It was a big sigh of relief, some positive closure to the whole situation,” he added.