A passenger gave birth during a flight from Dakar (Senegal) to the Belgian capital with the help of Brussels Airlines' cabin crew and fellow passengers, the airline announced in a LinkedIn post on Friday.
The aircraft had just taken off from Dakar when a pregnant passenger began to experience severe pain. A cabin crew member, Jennifer, recognised that there was more to the pain than just stomach cramps.
Enlisting the expertise of another passenger, who had recently graduated as a nurse, Jennifer helped monitor the contraction.
The pilots were informed of the situation and decided to return to Dakar. However, the labour was too far along, and the baby was born mid-flight.
"The first moments were tense – was she okay? Was she breathing? And then, the most beautiful sound filled the cabin: her first cry," Brussels Airlines wrote on LinkedIn.
A doctor on board checked on baby Fanta and confirmed that she was healthy.
"As a cabin crew member, you train for everything, even childbirth – but nothing prepares you for the real thing," said Jennifer. "It was magical. If I hadn't become a cabin crew member, I think I would have been a midwife," she added.
