A woman gave birth to a baby boy on a United Airlines flight from Ghana to the U.S., according to NBC.
United Airlines said its crews “acted quickly” to ensure a safe delivery during the 11-hour flight Saturday into Sunday. Flight 997 was 34,000 feet above the Atlantic ocean, flying from Accra, Ghana, to Washington Dulles International Airport. The plane was unable to land when the baby boy arrived almost a month early, according to reports.
Journalist Nancy Adobea Anane shared a Facebook post after the successful birth of the “lovely baby boy.” After the pilot issued a call for assistance, Dr. Ansah-Addo, a Ghanaian doctor practicing in the U.S., helped with the delivery, as well as a flight attendant who was a former nurse, according to Anane’s statement to NBC.
The baby arrived two hours prior to landing. The mother and the infant were met by paramedics in Dulles, Virginia. The time of birth was early Sunday morning, around 3:40 A.M. (eastern standard time), according to Anane’s Facebook post. (RELATED: Baby Delivered By Troops On Board Evacuee Flight From Afghanistan Named After Plane).
The mother, referred to as “GG” in Anane’s Facebook post, offered enormous thanks to those who aided and supported her delivery.
“We were especially thrilled to see the plane land with one extra, especially beautiful, customer onboard,” the airline said.