Turkish Airlines flight gains extra passenger as woman gives birth to child at 42,000 feet

A Turkish Airlines flight was unexpectedly joined by an extra passenger after staff helped a woman give birth 42,000 feet above the ground.

Nafi Diaby, who was 28-weeks pregnant, unexpectedly went into labour on the journey from Conakry, Guinea to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Flight staff came to the assistance of Ms Diaby and helped to safely deliver the child.

"The mother gave birth while standing, and we received help from several other passengers," stewardess Bouthayna İnanır told the Hurriyet Daily News. She said tears of joy were shed by the flight staff after the birth.

The baby girl was named Kadiju.

Both mother and daughter were taken to hospital when the Boeing 737 touched down in Ouagadougou, and are reported to be doing well.

Turkish Airlines welcomed the event on social media by posting the message: "Welcome on board Princess! Applause goes to our cabin crew!"

Expectant mothers can usually fly until they are 36 weeks pregnant. However, some airlines require a doctor's note after 28 weeks, which confirms the expected birth date.

Births do occur on flights occasionally but not all end up being such happy occasions.

A video of a newborn baby on a flight from Taipei, Taiwan to Los Angeles caused controversy after it received widespread news coverage.

The birth caused the flight to divert to Alaska, fuelling suspicion in Taiwan the woman had deliberately got on the plane late her pregnancy in an attempt to gain US citizenship for her child.

She was later deported from the US but her child stayed in the country with a friend. The case tapped into wider fears of "birth tourism" and was discussed in the Taiwanese parliament.