Syrian woman goes into labor on Turkish plane flying to Sweden

STOCKHOLM - Anadolu Agency

AA photo

A Syrian passenger flying from Istanbul to Stockholm with Turkish Pegasus Airlines went into labor with the help of the crew and a Turkish nurse some 45 minutes before the plane landed in the Swedish capital.

Feeling birth cramps while the aircraft was flying over Ukrainian air space, the mother-of-three was taken to back of the plane and delivered a baby boy with the help of the crew and two other passengers, including a nurse.

Swedish Airport operator, Swedavia has also confirmed the birth and reported that the woman and the baby were taken to a hospital in Stockholm and were in good condition.

Meanwhile one of the helping passengers told Swedish media that everybody on the plane panicked when the woman started to have cramps and the aircraft's emergency landing in Ukraine was discussed.

“The woman was coming to Sweden for the first time with her three children and didn’t have anyone accompanying her. Since she only knew Arabic, I helped her as a translator. At 00.25, Sweden time, I and a Turkish woman who received nursing training, have completed the birth. It was a successful birth and the flying passengers on the plane have welcomed the baby with applause. When we landed, health teams along with police were waiting,” said the passenger, Nisrin Sabuncu.