Woman gives birth on plane, names baby after airline | CNN

Courtesy Shona Owen

In 1990, Debbie Owen gave birth on a British Airways flight from Ghana to the UK. She named her daughter Shona Kirsty Yves -- her initials spelling SKY.

Courtesy Shona Owen

Shona Owen's passport declares that the holder was "born on an aeroplane 10 miles south of Mayfield, Sussex."

Courtesy Shona Owen

Her birth papers also reveal the unusual circumstances of her birth. Being born in the air can lead to complications over nationality.

Courtesy British Airways

Shona Owen says she was "born to travel" and has researched other people who arrived in the world under similar circumstances.

Courtesy Deborah Lowther

During her research Owen came into contact with Debs Lowther, who gave birth to her son Jonathan, just four months before Owen was born, on a British Airways flight from Malawi.

Courtesy Deborah Lowther

Like Shona Owen, Debs Lowther's baby was born with the help of a doctor on board. Most airlines now try to restrict when heavily pregnant women can fly.

Courtesy British Airways

Popular myth decrees that people born on planes are often given free air travel for life, but this rarely happens. Shona Owen was presented with tickets to Australia by British Airways on her 18th birthday.

Courtesy British Airways

Owen has also appeared in advertising for British Airways.

Story highlights

Baby born on Jetstar plane named after airline

Mother and baby reportedly in good health

CNN —

Chances are baby boy Saw Jet Star will raise more than a few eyebrows when he’s old enough to explain the story behind his unique name.

His mom, who gave birth on Jetstar flight 3K583 from Singapore to Myanmar last week, named the newborn after the airline.

Weighing six pounds and seven ounces, the baby was safely delivered on the plane by a team of three doctors and crew after landing in Yangon on April 22, according to Jetstar Asia’s Facebook statement.

Plane passengers welcomed the baby’s birth with a round of applause, Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper reported.

Both the mother – who unexpectedly went into labor during the three-hour journey – and the baby are reportedly in good health and have since been discharged from the hospital.

The low-cost carrier said it would donate SGD1,000 (around $745) worth of baby supplies to the family.

Jetstar’s policy requires a doctor’s letter from pregnant passengers entering their third trimester, at 28 weeks or more, certifying they are in good health.

Women up to 40 weeks pregnant are allowed to travel on flights less than four hours long.

The airline has yet to respond to CNN’s request for further information on the birth.