Passenger Gives Birth Aboard Flight to New York ‘Tell her she’s got to name it Kennedy,’ says a controller at JFK
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A flight traveling from Jamaica to New York ended with an unexpected arrival. Caribbean Airlines Flight 005 departed Kingston with its usual passenger list, but by the time it touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday, there was one additional traveler on board.
According to reports, a woman on the flight went into labor as the aircraft was making its final approach to JFK. The baby was delivered just moments before the plane landed.
Air traffic control recordings obtained by CBS News captured a brief exchange between the controller and the pilot during the situation. The controller suggested the newborn be named Kennedy, referencing the airport. The pilot replied that the suggestion would be passed along.
Caribbean Airlines allows passengers to travel without medical clearance until the 32nd week of pregnancy, though the airline does not permit travel after 35 weeks. The airline did not disclose how far along the passenger was at the time of the flight.
Medical teams were waiting at the airport when the plane arrived and provided care for both the mother and the newborn.
Births on commercial flights are uncommon. A 2020 study from the National Library of Medicine found that between 1929 and 2018 there were 74 babies born during 73 commercial airline flights worldwide. Of those cases, 71 infants survived the delivery.
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