A baby was born midair on a Southwest Airlines plane flying to Florida and according to the company both mother and her infant are doing well. On Sunday, Southwest Flight 556 from Philadelphia to Orlando suddenly found itself with an extra passenger.
The 133rd passenger did not check at the airport and did not have a ticket, and this little traveler did not even have a name – but he was welcomed with open arms. A woman, who was not identified, went into labor mid-flight, and medical personnel who were on the plane helped deliver the baby.
The birth of the infant forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Charleston, South Carolina. An ambulance and medical crew were waiting on the tarmac and rushed the new parents and their baby to a nearby hospital. In a statement issued by Melissa, a spokesperson for Southwest, she explained that:
“Flight 556 was on its way from Philadelphia to Orlando, Florida, on Sunday when a woman went into labor.”
Medical personnel on board assisted with the delivery of the baby, officials say. The other 132 remaining passengers arrived in Orlando just over an hour behind schedule.
While it is a well-known fact that airlines passengers are not crazy about crying babies – this crying infant was applauded as he was being brought into the world.
A passenger by the name of Izzy Gould filmed the moment and shared the video on Twitter saying the “Flight crew did a great job.” The Director of content added:
My @SouthwestAir flight from PHL to MCO was diverted to Charleston because a woman went into labor. Flight crew did a great job. pic.twitter.com/63yVrkWWRL
— Izzy Gould (@IzzyGould) December 4, 2016
Southwest flight headed to Orlando, then Birmingham diverted when baby born on plane https://t.co/UTj5MfxV8j
— Izzy Gould (@IzzyGould) December 5, 2016
It was a memorable flight. Can't say enough about the @SouthwestAir crew, and the medical peeps that delivered the baby. True pros. https://t.co/UWD83eblOt
— Izzy Gould (@IzzyGould) December 5, 2016
