‘BABY ON BOARD’

The flight departed from Piarco International Airport at 9.22 pm on Monday for a five hour flight to JFK International, New York. However, while still en route 33-year-old Candy Midtlyng began experiencing labour pains and alerted the crew.

BWIA’s Corporate Communications Manager Dionne Ligoure told Newsday that at 2 am — shortly before the scheduled landing — US citizen Midtlyng gave birth to a baby boy.

"A midwife, Phyllis Robinson, was on board, and she assisted the crew with the delivery. Both mother and child are resting comfortably at the Jamaica Hospital in Queen’s, New York."

Ligoure said mother and child were healthy and "everything was handled safely."

Paramedics met the flight on its arrival at 2.19 am yesterday. She said the baby has been given the name "Baby Bwee" by Immigration officials. Midtlyng was travelling alone at the time of the delivery.

Asked at what stage pregnant women were restricted from travelling, Ligoure said all airlines had restrictions, and BWIA’s was 32 weeks.

When Newsday contacted the hospital, a nurse said Midtlyng was "okay" and "up and alert."

She could not disclose any details of the baby’s condition.