KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Passenger gives birth on board KLM flight from Lagos; aircraft diverts to Barcelona

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On 18 June, a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 777-200 (registered PH-BQI) operated flight KL588 between Lagos, Nigeria and Amsterdam Schiphol, The Netherlands. While flying over the Mediterranean Sea, the pilots diverted to the airport of Barcelona in Spain. 

One of the passengers started labour, and delivered her baby in one of the galleys of the aircraft, much to the delight of passengers and crew.

Spanish air traffic control guided the aircraft down towards runway 02 of Barcelona Airport where the aircraft safely landed. “Both mother and baby are doing well,” air traffic control tweeted, and wished them a speedy recovery.

A few hours later, the aircraft departed for Amsterdam, where it landed with a delay of two hours and twenty minutes.

“Wonderful handling of both the emergency landing in Barcelona plus the baby delivery by KLM crew + medical staff at El Prat airport! Both mother and newborn are safe! We went on to AMS and now heading back home in Madrid,” passenger and Pablo Ruiz-Múzquiz wrote on his social media channel.

This post was published on 20 June 2023 09:12

Bart Noëth

Working for 25 years in the aviation industry, I changed my career and became a firefighter/EMT in 2021. I like to spend my free time with my two sons, girlfriend, family and friends. I love to travel, wine and dine and support my favourite football squad KV Mechelen. Once an Ironman 70.3 finisher and dreaming of completing a full distance.

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Bart Noëth

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