Birth by air, what will be the citizenship and benefits of an in-flight birth
In the last two years we have been accustomed to really sad in-flight stories. The pandemic has made everyone more susceptible [...]
Qatar Airways
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Over the past two years we have been accustomed to some really sad in-flight stories. The pandemic has made everyone more susceptible, and here are flourishing videos from all over the world about passengers objecting to the mask requirement, others arguing with each other and being dragged away. There is room, however, for a heartwarming piece of news: a doctor was able to deliver a woman in the middle of a flight. Mother and daughter are in perfect health. A story that will accompany the protagonists throughout their lives, especially since being born in the air brings with it some considerable advantages.
Miracle in flight
Aisha Khatib, a Canadian doctor and professor at the University of Toronto, certainly would not have expected to have to set to work when she went up In Doha on the flight to Uganda. Her plans were quite different, but now she has a story she can tell for many years to come. The news went around the world, and she herself spoke about it on her own social media. The public response on Twitter was huge.
The airplane birth occurred last December 5, 2021 On a Qatar Airways flight, "Is there a doctor on board? I never thought I would deliver a baby during a flight. Thank you to the Qatar Airways cabin crew who helped me during the delivery of this Miracle in the Sky. The mother and baby are well and healthy." A story that has an incredible ending in the best possible way. The baby girl was named Miracle Aisha, in tribute to her incredible birth and to the doctor who allowed her to come into the world.
Is there a doctor on the plane? ??♀️??⚕️Never thought I'd be delivering a baby on a flight! ✈️ @qatarairways Thanks to the airline crew who helped support the birth of this Miracle in the air! Mom and baby are doing well and healthy! #travelmedicine pic.twitter.com/4JuQWfsIDE
- Aisha Khatib, MD (@AishaKhatib) January 13, 2022
Leaving on board Qatar Airways
The Qatar Airways plane had been leaving Doha for about an hour last Dec. 5, when a search for a doctor began on board. Answering the call was Aisha Khatib, originally from Uganda and returning home after a vacation in Arabia. She was not the only one on board with medical expertise, however. As much as she conducted the delivery, she explained how she was greatly helped by the crew, an oncology nurse and a pediatrician from Doctors Without Borders. Here are her words to the BBC: "When I approached, I saw this woman lying on the ground with the baby coming out. When I announced that it was a little girl and that she was okay, all the passengers applauded. The best part of this story is that they decided to name the little girl after me.
Meet baby Miracle Aisha ? pic.twitter.com/hkiJpgvGKv
- Aisha Khatib, MD (@AishaKhatib) January 13, 2022
The baby girl was born a little ahead of her time, at 35 weeks, but more importantly at more than 10,000 meters above sea level. A real rarity, as far as airplane births happen. Statistically speaking, however, it is one case in 26 million. Not an everyday occurrence, then. The flight continued without further incident to Uganda, where the mother lives and will be able to raise little Miracle Aisha peacefully.
The benefits of being born in the air
News of an airplane birth almost always makes the rounds. Managing to deliver a woman under those circumstances, amidst the absence of instrumentation and enormous stress, is a truly incredible feat, especially since there are not always medical personnel of any sort on board among the passengers. Free publicity for the carrier, even though they are often such large companies that they don't need it. It is the details that make the difference, in most cases. Knowing that one airline's cabin crew can handle such an out-of-the-ordinary situation so well may prompt a preference for it over others. Indeed, the story of little Miracle's birth focuses heavily on the promptness and helpfulness of stewardesses and stewards.
The boy or girl born in flight will have a magnificent story to tell the world, accompanied by viral photos and videos on social media. In most cases, in addition to the legend, there is also another, more enticing gift: free tickets for life with that carrier. The examples are varied. In 2020, a woman from Yemen gave birth on board EgyptAir, flying from London to Cairo. An emergency landing was requested in Munich, but before she could make it, the passenger had already given birth to her baby boy. The baby received a lifetime reward: she will never have to pay to board an airline plane. This is not a written rule, of course. One can speak of custom. This is evidenced by the fact that no announcement has been made by Qatar Airways, which appears to have rewarded little Miracle in no way except by offering her on board all the help she could get to come into the world.
Being born in an airplane: citizenship
The fact that a woman gives birth in flight is relatively rare, mainly because Many carriers present strict rules about this. Beyond a certain week, a soon-to-be mother will not be allowed on board, in some cases. Of course, this does not exclude the possibility of finding oneself having to deal with a premature birth in flight. On the other hand, there are companies that do not restrict the choice of the mother-to-be at all, who could board even without a medical certificate authorizing her.
One wonders, however, what is the procedure in terms of citizenship of those born in the air? The rules in this regard are not very clear. Generally, there is a tendency to assert the citizenship of the mother. In the event that an Italian woman were to give birth in an airplane, while returning home or heading elsewhere, to another country, her baby would be Italian. As mentioned, however, much changes from country to country. If one were to land in another part of Europe or the world, different from one's own country, the registry entry could take into account the area of the plane's registration. Decidedly more difficult, however, is the prospect for which the country flown over at the time of birth is taken into account.
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