Passenger delivers baby on Delta flight

Please fasten your seat belt, ensure your tray table is in an upright and locked position — and prepare for delivery.

A passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta gave birth to a healthy 2.5kg baby girl just before a Boeing 737 landed at Portland International Airport on Friday night. Two paramedics who happened to be on board assisted with the delivery, using blankets from fellow passengers and a shoelace to tie the umbilical cord.

The baby, named Brielle Renee Blair, was born about two weeks early, shortly before landing, according to Associated Press.

Her mother, Ashley Blair, from Tennessee, had been travelling to Oregon to be with her own mother for the birth but went into labour around 30 minutes before arrival.

One of the paramedics, Tina Fritz, told the Associated Press on Monday that she and fellow paramedic Kaarin Powell were returning home after a holiday in the Dominican Republic. They had initially been assisting a nurse with another unwell passenger when a flight attendant asked them to check on Blair.

They quickly realised she was in active labour, with contractions close together. The flight, carrying 153 passengers, made space for the delivery by moving nearby travellers back to their seats.

The paramedics requested blankets and an obstetric kit — a sterile set of tools used in emergency childbirth — but had to improvise when none was available. Passengers provided blankets, while a shoelace from a flight attendant was used to tie the umbilical cord. Powell also used her own shoelace as a tourniquet to begin an intravenous line.

At one point, Blair announced she needed to push, just as the aircraft was preparing to land.

“We’re like, ‘No! No!’” Fritz recalled.

After three strong pushes, the baby was delivered moments before touchdown. Powell cut the umbilical cord and took her seat while holding the newborn, as Fritz sat beside her and the aircraft landed.

“The baby pinked up straight away,” Fritz said. “She was beautiful. The mother was a rock star.”

Once the plane began taxiing, the baby was handed to her mother and passengers celebrated the extraordinary moment.

A team from Portland Airport Fire & Rescue later confirmed that both mother and child were in good health and were taken to a local hospital for observation, according to Port of Portland spokesperson Molly Prescott.

In a statement, Delta said a doctor and two nurses had assisted the cabin crew, although Fritz said there was no doctor present and the only nurse remained with the earlier patient. The airline did not immediately respond to requests for clarification.

“We extend our sincere thanks to the crew and medical volunteers on board who stepped in to provide care to a customer prior to landing in Portland. The health and safety of our customers is always our top priority, and we wish the new family all the best,” the airline said.

Blair did not respond to requests for comment. Fritz, who has remained in contact with her since the birth, said the experience had created a lasting bond.

“I feel like we’ll be friends forever,” she said.