Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt diverted to Manchester after woman gives birth on board

A Lufthansa flight was forced to divert to Manchester after a woman gave birth on board. Luckily three doctors were on board the trans-Atlantic passenger flight to help the flight crew with the delivery.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the Frankfurt-bound plane landed safely at Manchester Airport. The flight from Bogotá, Colombia was grounded at the airport on Wednesday (26 July) following the mid-flight delivery.

An airlines spokeswoman 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 spokeswoman continued: "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."

Lufthansa said the Airbus A340-300 with 191 passengers on board was refuelled at Manchester Airport before continuing to its final destination. A spokeswoman for Manchester Airport confirmed the incident. "The plane landed at about 1.10pm, after the woman gave birth on board," she said. The plane was set to depart at 2.30pm to complete its trip.

Many companies do not allow women to travel during their third trimester, but the policy varies across airlines, the Manchester Evening News noted.