It’s not uncommon for people to give birth prematurely on planes. However, I don’t recall ever seeing a video of the delivery, up until now.
Last Wednesday, China Airlines flight 8 from Taipei to Los Angeles diverted to Anchorage shortly after a woman gave birth inflight. They made plans to divert to Anchorage when they knew she was going into labor. However, she gave birth about 30 minutes before landing.
Via The Daily Mail:
After going into labour, the pilot informed the airline company and requested permission to land at Ted Stevens Anchorage Airport in Alaska out of consideration for the safety of the woman and her baby.
However 30 minutes before landing, the woman gave birth to the child – and received a round of applause from fellow passengers following the first cry.
In a video shot by a woman on the flight, air stewards can be seen holding the baby, wiping her with tissues and wrapping her, and her mother, in large blankets.
Here’s the video:
Kudos to the flight attendants for their work in this case, and I guess it’s a good thing the front side of their uniforms are red. 😉 That’s certainly beyond the call of duty!
In the end, the flight to Anchorage took about nine hours.
From there it was just a 4hr30min flight to Los Angeles, where the flight ultimately arrived a bit more than three hours late.
Bottom line
I can’t even begin to imagine what child birth is like in general, let alone on a plane. I’m hoping there were some open seats so they had room to work — I’m not sure how that would work otherwise.
What a video!
@Ron Mexico
I think your definition of cool, greatly differs from mine and that of a dictionary.
Giving birth without the aid of medical professionals, is not without risk, which is why even Labor and Delivery centers are usually near hospitals.
Assuming this woman was close to full term, she should have never been permitted to fly which tells me that someone didn't do their job right. If the baby was born pre-term,...
@Ron Mexico
I think your definition of cool, greatly differs from mine and that of a dictionary.
Giving birth without the aid of medical professionals, is not without risk, which is why even Labor and Delivery centers are usually near hospitals.
Assuming this woman was close to full term, she should have never been permitted to fly which tells me that someone didn't do their job right. If the baby was born pre-term, it makes them even more vulnerable and in need emergency services. What is so cool about that?
And concern or questions about what citizenship the baby will have aren't without merit, especially given there is a under ground INDUSTRY that purposely brings Asian women to the US for the express purpose of having a child born on U.S. soil.
@Joe
LOL clever word play
Its terrible for chinese women to want to go to usa just so they can have a baby there..is it that bad in Taiwan?
The mum has been deported back to Taipei yesterday, it seems that she did intentionally board the plane at 36 weeks pregnant, with the aim of giving birth on US soil. There's reports that passengers heard she was asking if the plane had entered US airspace when she was asked to lie down due to labor pains...
Wow--something cool happens and all you morons wanna speculate a bout "citizenship'. Telling
@Mike O : Urban Legend ;-)
The Department of State issued the following clarification long ago:
"b. A U.S.-registered aircraft outside U.S. airspace is not considered to be part of U.S. territory. A child born on such an aircraft outside U.S. airspace does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of the place of birth.
c. Despite widespread popular belief, U.S. military installations abroad and U.S. diplomatic or consular facilities are not part of the United States within the meaning...
The Department of State issued the following clarification long ago:
"b. A U.S.-registered aircraft outside U.S. airspace is not considered to be part of U.S. territory. A child born on such an aircraft outside U.S. airspace does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of the place of birth.
c. Despite widespread popular belief, U.S. military installations abroad and U.S. diplomatic or consular facilities are not part of the United States within the meaning of the 14th Amendment. A child born on the premises of such a facility is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of birth."
The converse is of course also true: A foreign-registered aircraft inside U.S. airspace is considered to be part of the U.S. territory. A child born on such an aircraft inside U.S. airspace acquires U.S. citizenship by reason of the place of birth....
I should add that, according to the 14th amendment, all babies, born "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" are US citizens by birth. The Supreme Court has clarified numerous times that the only babies not subject to said jurisdiction are babies born to foreign diplomats whom the State Department has granted legal immunity (to them and their immediate family (i.e. the new-born child)). People on board foreign vessels in US airspace are "subject...
I should add that, according to the 14th amendment, all babies, born "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" are US citizens by birth. The Supreme Court has clarified numerous times that the only babies not subject to said jurisdiction are babies born to foreign diplomats whom the State Department has granted legal immunity (to them and their immediate family (i.e. the new-born child)). People on board foreign vessels in US airspace are "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States"!
Unless you are telling me that the American police cannot arrest, prosecute, and imprison someone who has commited a crime (say, murder) on, for example, China Airlines, enroute to USA, never mind within or without US air space, because crimes on foreign vessels are not "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States"? Are you telling me in such a situation, the United States only has the recourse of sending the alleged killer back to Taiwan? Clearly not the case! Such lack of legal recourse only applies to certain foreign diplomats (not even all of them) granted full legal immunity by the State Department. And so, only children of such diplomats are not US citizens by birth.
Some years back, a baby born over the airspace of Canada on a non-Canadian airline was declared a Canadian citizen by birth, by the Canadian authorities. Canadian citizenship law is pretty much similar to American's. And so, this baby, if born within the airspace of the United States, nevermind the airline is foreign or otherwise, is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and accordingly, is an American citizen by birth, in accordance to...
Some years back, a baby born over the airspace of Canada on a non-Canadian airline was declared a Canadian citizen by birth, by the Canadian authorities. Canadian citizenship law is pretty much similar to American's. And so, this baby, if born within the airspace of the United States, nevermind the airline is foreign or otherwise, is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and accordingly, is an American citizen by birth, in accordance to the 14th amendment of the Constitution. Some people just don't know what they are talking about...
@Rui N.
...You don't know what you are talking about. You are plain wrong that "(The United States) Citizenship laws exclude people born on foreign vessels even if they are at the time in US waters or airspace." There is no such exclusion, as far as the United States is concerned. The 14th Amendment is pretty clear. Show us the relevant section of your so-called "(United States) Citizenship laws". That is, if you can...
@Rui N.
You don't know what you are talking about. You are plain wrong that "(The United States) Citizenship laws exclude people born on foreign vessels even if they are at the time in US waters or airspace." There is no such exclusion, as far as the United States is concerned. The 14th Amendment is pretty clear. Show us the relevant section of your so-called "(United States) Citizenship laws". That is, if you can...
As for some others here, who think too highly of your American citizenship, and made derogatory remarks, actually American citizenship is a liability, with global taxing at the top of the list. That's why many billionaires have renounced their American citizenship.
Taiwanese (and South Koreans) who seek out American citizenship for their babies are not thinking of milking the US welfare system, or for anchor baby purpose, as someone here wrongly thought. It's for just one purpose - to avoid military conscription for their sons. That's all.
Everyone worrying about citizenship etc.How about being being thankful there were no complication to the delivery. Glad it all worked out.
Flew Monday night CI 8 from TPE to LAX, first time ever on them (after looking an not finding a review from Lucky....come on Ben!)
Great new 77W, awesome low biz fare, great crews, one of the best flights in biz I have had in some time.
Anyways, about half way through the flight I took a walk back from C to check out the premium Y section and the family couch. There were people...
Flew Monday night CI 8 from TPE to LAX, first time ever on them (after looking an not finding a review from Lucky....come on Ben!)
Great new 77W, awesome low biz fare, great crews, one of the best flights in biz I have had in some time.
Anyways, about half way through the flight I took a walk back from C to check out the premium Y section and the family couch. There were people sitting in the family couch area but without it setup so I guess they did not purchase the option. Since C is reverse herringbone and after looking at the family couch I could see that it would actually provide more room for doing something like this.
Hats off to the crew, I was very impressed with CI and they are now my new go to for BKK-LAX....blows away the now terminated UA option and easily was as good as BR.
According to some not-so-credible medias, she will be issues a US passport.
@James - Exactly. Why didn't CI stop her at TPE check-in?
That aircraft would also now need to be thoroughly disinfected (one would hope).
Are you even allowed to fly when that pregnant ?
Well that woman probably was going to have the bay born on the U.S. Soil to get the citizenship. I bet she's not in a very good mood now.
A literal Anchor-age baby?
They probably also had to clear immigration in ANC. What a pain in the ass!
Both parents are Taiwanese nationals and the airplane is a Taiwanese carrier, according to the Taiwanese media, the baby girl will not be an US citizen. The medias also stated that the vessel is an extension of the national boundary until it land and such. But the question would be what if they flew United? (United does not fly between TPE and LAX, only SFO)... Things make you wonder...
On some airlines, the child that was born inflight gets free tickets with the airline they were born on for life!
@Ivan, no you can't. Citizenship laws exclude people born on foreign vessels even if they are at the time in US waters or airspace.
Would the lap-child fee be pro-rated?
@jmd001 If you are born over the United States, even if it's in a foreign plane with foreign parents, you can still claim U.S. citizenship. So really depends on whether or not the plane was over U.S. soil.
and they made her stay in economy and deliver... surprise there's enough space there
The Taiwanese media reported that it took place on the new family couch seating area where you can fold up three economy chairs to make a bed. The designer probably didn't think about that function originally. Lol
So if the birth took place in US air space (vice on US soil), does that make the kid eligible for US citizenship???