Baby girl born on Mother's Day flight from Calgary to Japan

An Air Canada flight left Calgary and landed in Japan on Mother’s Day with one extra passenger, after a 23-year-old Canadian woman — who reportedly didn’t know she was pregnant — gave birth to a baby girl mid-flight.

The newborn was successfully delivered with the help of doctors who happened to be on the flight and who identified themselves when the crew paged for assistance, Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said in an email.

“We are very pleased that the baby arrived safely and all are reported to be in good health,” she wrote.

Media reports have identified the proud — and very surprised — parents as Wesley Branch and Ada Guan, of Victoria, B.C.

“This happened completely unexpectedly,” Branch said after getting off the airplane cradling his brand new daughter, according to a Japanese Television program.

“It turned out to be a beautiful baby girl.”

Branch told Global B.C. he had no idea his girlfriend was 37-weeks pregnant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN3–B4CwsA&t=26s

Flight AC009 was travelling from Calgary to Narita International Airport near Tokyo, Japan.

Passenger You Eun Song said the 10-hour flight was completely normal up until the final hour.

As the large plane neared Tokyo, the captain told passengers there was “exciting news” — the aircraft had a new passenger.

“He said someone had just given birth to a baby … He was wishing the best for the new baby,” Song said.

Song said passengers began clapping, and asking flight attendants whether the baby was a boy or girl.

“We were pumped. We didn’t hear anything. No noise, no screaming,” Song said.

Song said that when the plane landed and passengers were allowed to exit the aircraft, they walked through first class, where the woman had given birth. The woman, baby, and the child’s father were still on the plane.

“(The mom) looked really calm and everyone said congratulations,” Song said.

“The baby was wrapped in a towel … She looked very healthy. I was shocked.”

A clip from Japanese television show’s the baby’s father leaving the plane and waving as he cradles a newborn. The new mom is seen in the clip being taken from the airplane in a wheelchair and then whisked away on a stretcher.

Mah, with Air Canada, noted crews are trained to handle a wide range of situations, including medical ones, and planes have links to ground-based medical experts they can consult with.

Air Canada policy states a woman with a normal pregnancy and no previous history of premature labour may travel up to and including her 36th week of pregnancy.