A woman gave birth just minutes before her flight landed in New York from the Caribbean over the weekend.
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According to multiple outlets, the unexpected labor occurred as her Caribbean Airlines flight from Kingston, Jamaica, landed at John F. Kennedy Airport.
“We’ve got a pregnant passenger who is going into labor at this time,” one of the flight’s crew members said in ATC audio obtained by CBS News.
Following the request, a John F. Kennedy Airport ground controller confirmed that medical personnel were on stand-by at the gate.
“Is it out yet?” the ground controller asked about the infant.
When the crew member confirmed it was, the ground controller jokingly declared, “Tell her she’s got to name it Kennedy.”
In a statement to USA Today, Caribbean Airlines confirmed the situation. “Upon arrival, the mother and newborn were attended to by medical personnel and are receiving the necessary care.”
The carrier further stated, “The airline commends the professionalism and measured response of its crew, who managed the situation in accordance with established procedures, ensuring the safety and comfort of all onboard.”
Per its website, Caribbean Airlines allows pregnant passengers on board their flights without medical clearance through the end of their 32nd week of pregnancy.
“Between the 32nd and 35th week, medical clearance is mandatory,” the carrier states on its website.
Caribbean Airlines does not allow pregnant passengers on board after the 35th week.
Another Pregnant Woman Gave Birth Mid-Flight in 2024
The Caribbean Airlines flight labor occurred just two years after an airplane pilot left the cockpit to help deliver a baby during a flight to Thailand.
At the time, the New York Post reported that the pilot, Jakarin Sararnrakskul, had been flying a VietJet plane from Taipei, Taiwan, to Bangkok, Thailand, when a pregnant passenger went into labor.
As his female co-pilot flew the aircraft, Sararnrakskul helped the pregnant passenger while she was in active labor. He delivered the baby mid-flight.
Medical personnel were waiting for the mother and infant when the airline finally arrived in Bangkok.
Sararnrakskul later told local media outlets that he had never delivered a baby before.
“He will be able to tell everyone for the rest of his life that he was born in the air,” he said about the infant. “I feel so proud that I could help to bring him into the world.”