Special delivery on board KLM flight sends Calgary bound jet to Yellowknife
Posted Nov 15, 2013 12:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s being hailed as the minor miracle at Yellowknife Airport.
A KLM plane bound for Calgary from Amsterdam had to make an emergency landing in the Northwest Territories Thursday afternoon after a young woman went into labour.
The first-time mother is believed to be about 19-years old and speaks only Syrian.
According to paramedics, she gave birth between the seats in business class to a healthy baby boy.
When the jet landed both were transported to Stanton Territorial Hospital.
Northwest Territories Transportation spokesperson Earl Blacklock tells 660News he’s heard mom and son both are doing fine.
“The indication from the paramedics was that the baby was healthy and close to full term,” he says.
Blacklock says this might be a first for them.
“It doesn’t happen very often, airlines don’t like to convey people that are full term so it’s something they try to avoid,” he says. “In terms of a polar flight touching down in our city, this is the first to our knowledge.”
When reached at their headquarters in the Netherlands, KLM had no comment.
The flight landed around 1 p.m. and was delayed roughly 2 hours before it was allowed to continue on to Alberta.
It’s believed she was heading to Calgary to meet her husband.
