The 35-week pregnant woman was “having contractions every two minutes”. After the birth, mother and baby, who were “in good health”, were taken to a hospital.
A babygirl was born on board a Portuguese Air Force (FAP) plane on Monday morning, April 15, between the island of Santa Maria and the island of São Miguel, in the Azores.
“At 8:05 a.m. in the Azores, 9:05 a.m. in Lisbon, April 15, a new life was born on board an Air Force plane in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The C-295M aircraft had just taken off from the island of Santa Maria, heading for São Miguel, when a baby girl decided it was time to be born,” the FAP said in a statement.
Earlier, the crew of Squadron 502 – ‘Elefantes’, had been activated to transport “a 35-year-old pregnant woman who was 35 weeks pregnant” who was “having contractions every two minutes”.
The C-295M aircraft left Terceira island and landed in Santa Maria, where “the mother-to-be boarded accompanied by a civil health team”. Shortly afterwards, “the plane took off towards Ponta Delgada”, and the pregnant woman entered “the final stage of labor”.
“Ten minutes after taking off, the baby was born on board the Air Force plane, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, when the clock struck 9:05” (Lisbon time), the FAP added.
The Air Force aircraft then flew to São Miguel, where “the mother and baby were taken to the local hospital”.
Both are “in good health”.
Finally, the FAP declared its “immense joy” at being “the scene of the miracle of life”.
This is the fourth birth on board the Portuguese Air Force’s C-295M aircraft since it began operating in 2009, and the 35th birth on board.
