‘Miracle’ birth on Jordan-London flight thanks to junior doctor

A “miracle” baby has been born on a flight from Jordan to the UK thanks to the help of a junior doctor, Metro newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The Wizz Air flight from Amman to London’s Luton Airport recorded an extra passenger in the manifest after Hassan Khan, 28, leapt into action and helped deliver the newborn.

Two hours into the flight, a pregnant woman on board went into labor, with the crew appealing for a doctor to help.

Khan, who had been holidaying in Jordan with friends, used his experience working at Basildon Hospital’s neonatal resuscitation unit.

He said: “I told the flight attendants what equipment I needed — which would include a neonatal-sized oxygen mask, a clamp for the umbilical cord and a stethoscope — none of which they had on a plane, of course.”

But the lack of equipment did not deter Khan who, with the help of a fellow passenger to translate Arabic, delivered the baby girl using only towels.

The flight was diverted to Italy’s Brindisi Airport so the mother and newborn could receive postpartum medical care.

The family later contacted Khan to thank him and report the good health of mother and child, which he said caused “a big sigh of relief.”

His employers “were very impressed,” he added. “My consultant congratulated me and said it was a really good job.

“People were saying it was miraculous — I only realized how significant it was after I had the chance to process it all.”

It is just the 75th instance in aviation history of a baby being born on a commercial flight. The rarity can be attributed to medical guidance, which recommends that pregnant women avoid flying past the 36-week mark, or 32 weeks with twins or triplets.

Several births have taken place on flights in recent years. In 2017, a baby was given free air tickets for life after being born on a flight from Saudi Arabia to India.