Plane heading to Frankfurt diverted to Manchester Airport after a woman gave BIRTH on board

A TRANSATLANTIC flight had to be diverted to Manchester Airport after a woman gave birth on board.

Luckily, three doctors were on board the flight from Colombia to Frankfurt and were able so safely deliver the baby over the Atlantic Ocean.

The mum and baby were taken to a Greater Manchester hospital for further care following the unexpected stopover at around 1pm yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the airline said: “Lufthansa can confirm that a passenger gave birth to a baby on board during the flight LH543 from Bogotá on the way to Frankfurt.

“Three doctors were on board and supported the crew during the delivery.

“In order to give the best medical care and assistance to the mother and baby the crew decided to divert the flight to Manchester, where it landed at 1.09pm local time.

“The mother and the newborn were safely de-boarded from the aircraft by an ambulance and taken to a local hospital where they are being cared for.

“The flight was operated with an Airbus A340-300 with 191 passengers on board.

"It is currently being refuelled at Manchester Airport and will soon continue onwards to its final destination - Frankfurt."

The woman is believed to have gone into labour around two hours from the flight's destination.

A spokeswoman for Manchester Airport said the flight was delayed by just over an hour for the unscheduled landing.

She said: "The plane landed at Manchester Airport at about 1.10pm, after the woman gave birth on board.”

Some airlines don't allow women to travel on board in the latter stages of their pregnancy, but policies vary across airlines.

In April, air hostesses and passengers helped a woman give birth on a Turkish Airlines flight from Conakry, Guinea to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

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