Passport change and border checks are far from the easiest tasks for Shauna Owen due to unusual place her birth - about 36 thousand feet above the ground. Customs officers are constantly surprised when they see the entry in her passport: "The holder was born on an airplane."
Shona's story
Shona is a representative of a small community of people who came into this world in an extremely dramatic way. In 1990, a pregnant Debbie Owen, accompanied by her four-year-old daughter Claire, flew from Ghana, where she worked, to London. Suddenly there was a surprise - she started contractions. She was moved to first class, which was completely exempt from passengers, and an announcement was made for all people with medical training to report it.
The expectant mother was lucky - the Dutch doctor Wim Bakker, who helped a woman in Ghana give birth just in the bushes, was on board. Desperately afraid that she would be left alone with two children if the plane had to land in Africa, Debbie fought hard to get to London. On approach to Gatwick airport with curtains drawn, soft music, with her own doctor and an entire cabin at the disposal of Seana Christie Ives (in English, her initials look like SKY, which translates as "sky") was born, increasing the number of passengers on board for one. “I was always told that I was born to travel and now I work in the travel industry,” said Shona, who currently works as the head of Internet marketing for a major travel operator. “It’s a very good story that everyone is interested in listening to.”
Community born in the sky
And this story also became the topic Shona decided to focus on when she was writing her dissertation.
“When I tell this story, people always ask me how rare it is or how many babies have been born on a plane. I don't have an answer," Shauna said. “So when I was preparing my diploma, I thought this was a great chance to spend six months studying how many of us there are in the world. It was really interesting to read all the stories and interact with the people who were born on board the plane. My mom met with another woman who gave birth in the air, I talked to the pilots, and as a result, a kind of community is already being created.”
Strict rules
She also contacted Debs Lowther, who had given birth to her son Jonathan just four months before Shona herself was born, and the circumstances were remarkably similar - she was also flying from Africa to the UK while on board the same carrier's aircraft. Most airlines don't keep statistics on births on board, so it's very difficult to accurately calculate everything, but Shona's story is definitely rare, as all airlines have strict rules regarding pregnant women and their children. Although conditions vary from case to case, most operators allow pregnant women to board the aircraft up to the 36th week of pregnancy, but from the 28th week they need to have a signed paper from the doctor with them, which will indicate the date of delivery. But despite this, such situations still happen.
Question of nationality
One of the main questions that is raised when a child is born on board an aircraft is his nationality. Citizenship laws differ from country to country. For example, in the UK, children born in the country do not automatically receive citizenship - they receive it only if the parents are British, that is, the so-called "right of blood". In the United States of America, even if a child is born in the water or airspace of the country, he automatically receives American citizenship in accordance with the "law of the land."
A child born on board a Jet Airways aircraft has received a lifelong right to fly jetliners of this company for free. This was reported by The Times of India.
Josie Sisimol went into labor on a flight from Saudi Arabia to India at an altitude of over 10,000 meters. The woman was 30 weeks pregnant. The pilots of the airliner decided to make an emergency landing. The liner, en route to the city of Kochi in the southwest of the country, was sent to Mumbai. However, Josie gave birth about half an hour before landing.
Among the passengers on board was a doctor who, along with the flight attendants, came to the aid of the woman. There were no problems during the boy. The woman in labor and her son, who received a life pass, were sent to the hospital immediately after the plane landed.
This is the first such incident on board the carrier, according to Jet Airways.
It is noted that most airlines allow pregnant women to fly up to 36 weeks, but after 28 weeks of pregnancy they require a letter signed by a doctor.
TO THE POINT
In October 2012, on board an aircraft en route from Simferopol to Moscow. The plane of JSC "Aeroflot - Russian Airlines" made an emergency landing in Kharkov.
During the flight, the woman's water suddenly broke. The birth was taken by crew members and a nurse, who was among the passengers. Immediately after landing, the mother and the newborn girl were examined by doctors, then they were taken to the nearest maternity hospital.
Childbirth in water has long been a common occurrence. And recently you will not surprise anyone with childbirth in the air. Until the airlines ban pregnant women from landing in the ninth month, such cases will repeat again and again. Not only for the mother of the "heavenly newborn", but also for other passengers, and especially for the crew of the aircraft, such childbirth becomes an adventure. Especially if there is no doctor on board.
Although childbirth in the sky is not so common anymore, airlines have included midwifery courses in their flight attendant training.
Parents of "heavenly newborns" often give their children the names of airlines. In 2004, a girl was born on a Virgin airline plane, who was named Virginia. In turn, the company also made a gift to the baby. Until the age of 21, she is entitled to free flights with Virgin Airlines.
The United States is of the opinion that the birth of a child should be registered in the country where the company is registered. This territorial right only applies if the child was born while the aircraft was crossing the ocean.
Also in the US, there is another law according to which a child who was born in US airspace automatically receives US citizenship.
In many countries, there is a law under which a newborn will receive the same citizenship that his parents have.
Under international law, when registering a child, the “longitude and latitude” of the place of birth is also recorded. In some countries, the child is registered in the country in which the plane, together with the mother and the newborn, landed. Similar laws apply to newborns in the territorial waters of countries.
Many airlines have introduced a number of restrictions for pregnant passengers. Women who are more than 36 weeks pregnant are not allowed to fly. Airlines are asking for proof. At Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Turkish Airlines, pregnant women are asked to present a medical opinion stating that the woman has no contraindications for flying. These airlines do not allow pregnant women to board after 36 weeks of pregnancy, and if there is more than one fetus, after 32 weeks. Air Berlin and Air Canada prohibit flights for pregnant women a month before the birth of a child. The estimated date must be indicated on the medical certificate.
Iberia does not make any restrictions for pregnant women. But he strongly advises to avoid flights if less than a month is left before the birth of the child.
Delta Airlines does not ban expectant mothers from flying. But money for a change or cancellation of a ticket due to pregnancy is not refundable.
What if the child was born on the plane? updated: November 18, 2019 by: Antonina Kovalchuk
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There are many stories about how a woman gave birth during an international flight, and the newborn received foreign citizenship. It happens, but you can’t do without pitfalls. In general, it is not recommended to fly on the last dates. But if it happened, then we’ll tell you how childbirth on board an airplane actually works.
How to give birth on an airplane
The good news is that flight attendants are trained to deliver babies. Therefore, if you find yourself in such a situation, then do not be afraid and breathe deeply. The flight attendants know what to do.
The bad news is that even the fastest labors take an average of 4 hours to complete. Therefore, on a long-haul flight, you run the risk of hitting the jackpot called “birth on an airplane that is about to land.”
Tip: when you are in the last stages of pregnancy, be sure to take with you on the plane:
- card with statements about pregnancy;
- sterile oilcloth;
- cotton wool;
- sterile gloves.
Before departure, notify the staff about your condition. There is a chance that the pressure drop and the general level of stress will make you feel unwell. And in exceptional cases, premature birth may begin.
Generally, World Organization Health recommends to cancel the flight in three cases:
- If the gestational age is already more than 36 weeks (more than 32 weeks for multiple pregnancy).
- If the pregnancy proceeds with complications (pregnancy pathology, the threat of miscarriage, etc.).
- If 7 days have not passed since the birth.
How citizenship is awarded
Now to the legal side of the question: how is citizenship anyway assigned? A child born on board can apply for three types of citizenship:
- Citizenship of the country to which the aircraft belongs.
- Countries over whose territory the birth occurred.
- Countries where the plane landed.
The passport of the state where the plane landed can be claimed if the laws of that country grant citizenship under the "law of the soil".
"Right of the Soil"This is one of the principles of acquiring citizenship. It means that the newborn becomes a citizen of the country in which he was born, regardless of the citizenship of the parents.
Another principle isright of the blood". The child receives citizenship according to the citizenship of the parents, and the territory of his birth does not matter. "Right of Blood"followed by most states.
In 2019, the following countries adhere to the principle of "rights of the soil":
- Belize
- Barbados
- Argentina
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Venezuela
- Bolivia
- Grenada
- Brazil
- Guatemala
- Dominica
- Guyana
- Dominican Republic
- Honduras
- Malaysia
- Lesotho
- Colombia
- Canada
- Nicaragua
- Mexico
- Panama
- Peru
- Pakistan
- Paraguay
- Romania
- Saint Christopher and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Salvador
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Chile
- Fiji
- Uruguay
- Jamaica
- Ecuador
- Trinidad and Tobago
In general, it all depends on the policy of the country. But the most common practice is to obtain the citizenship of the country that owned the plane.
