A woman gave birth during a Finnair flight to Paris this weekend, after boarding the plane reportedly unaware that she was expecting a baby.
The delivery happened about an hour before flight AY1571 was due to land in the French capital and the Airbus 320 continued as planned to the destination, with no layover necessary. Fellow passengers on the aircraft told press that the birth of the “normal-sized baby” went smoothly, right “up to the tying of the umbilical cord.”
Baby unresponsive at first
The baby was in fact delivered mostly by the mother alone, with the help of a flight attendant and Olli Paavola, a Helsinki firefighter and ambulance driver who was on a lads’ trip to Paris when he got rather more than he bargained for. Paavola told Finnish news outlet Helsingin Sanomat that he volunteered to assist when attendants on the plane put out a call for a doctor or medic.
Another passenger seated near the toilet where the mother was said things happened very fast. “Maybe a second passed after the [first] announcement, and then you could already hear the baby crying.”
Paavola quickly found himself in the toilet with the mother, who was crouching holding a baby. It was unclear at that stage if the labour was over and the baby at first seemed unresponsive.
Paavola, who has children of his own and has helped with births before as part of his job, warmed the baby and massaged his feet and “got him to wake up, so it was easier to recognize if everything was okay.” He then cut the umbilical cord and retrieved the placenta from the toilet bowl.
Don’t watch, help
A psychiatrist aboard the plane also helped, along with the crew, who drew praise from Paavola for remaining calm being upstanders.
“I would like to emphasize that with cooperation we can get through such situations, which are commonplace for few people. It would be important for people to remember that they are helping and not just watching from the sidelines,” Paavola said.
Other passengers told press the mother was not alone but with her partner and another child. They spoke English together but it is not clear what nationality she or the baby – a boy – are.
Finnair have a rule that women may not fly journeys of over two hours beyond 36 weeks of pregnancy. A spokesperson for the carrier told press that staff have training in how to deal with a range of in-flight emergencies and can confer with medical professionals via satellite phone, as needed.
