Arik Flight Makes Emergency Landing As Nigerian Woman Gives Birth on Plane

An Arik Air flight with over 100 passengers en route to London
Sunday was forced to make an emergency landing in Palmas, Spain,
as a woman went into labour and gave birth while the aircraft was
airborne.The pilot was said to have requested the emergency
landing on the advice of two doctors who were on board the
aircraft and had helped the mother deliver the baby.
When the passenger went into labour, the cabin crew asked that
doctors on board the flight to identify themselves. Following the
announcement, two of the passengers came forward, saying they
were doctors and assisted in the delivery of the baby.
Normally, a source disclosed that in the few instances where
women have given birth on board, the aircraft would continue its
flight to its final destination. However, the Arik flight was forced
to make an emergency landing following the advice of the doctors
that the woman was bleeding excessively - she was said to have
experienced excessive hemorrhaging, necessitating the emergency
landing.
At the time of this report, both mother and child were said to have
been stable but were left behind in Palmas for monitoring by
medical personnel, while the flight continued on its journey to
London.
The airline was trying to ascertain if the woman had presented a
false medical report from her doctor on the true duration of her
pregnancy or she had gone into premature labour while on board
the flight.
Women with full term pregnancies are not allowed to travel by air,
according to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
regulations. As such, intending pregnant passengers are required
to present medical reports certifying that they are less than 32
weeks pregnant before they are allowed to fly.
A source said the airline was carrying out a full-scale investigation
to ascertain the genuineness of themedical report presented by the
woman.
Arik Air’s management said yesterday that if it is discovered that
the woman was given a false report to enable her fly, it would file
a special complaint against the doctor who had issued the medical
report to the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) for endangering
her life and that of the baby, as well that of other passengers on
board the flight.