Oh, Baby! Woman Surprisingly Gives Birth on American Airlines Flight One woman was in for the surprise of her life after her water broke on a flight to the Dominican Republic.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

TikTok via @pinkangel876
TikTok via @pinkangel876

If you've been on a flight, you've most likely witnessed some bizarre passenger behavior in one way or another. And although flight attendants are trained to deal with odd requests and disgruntled behavior, helping someone give birth is probably not in the training materials.

Such was the case on an American Airlines flight leaving New York's JFK airport for the Dominican Republic last week when a woman went into labor mid-flight, prompting an emergency landing and delivery of a baby boy.

A TikToker named Kendall (@pinkangel876) is going viral for documenting her sister giving birth and recounting the story to viewers in a series of videos that have together garnered millions of views.

Kendall says that while she was on the way to the airport with her family, her sister joked that she was going to have the baby in the car since the bumpy road was causing pain on one side.

@pinkangel876 Welcome baby air #baby #air #airplane #airbaby #americanairlines #birthonairplane #foryou #trending #vacation #trip ♬ original sound - rayeem_

The pain continued at the airport and worsened once she was on the plane.

"Being pregnant, if you sit a certain way, you get cramps. If you sit a certain way, your back hurts. If you sit a certain way, you're feeling pain somewhere — so we didn't take it as anything," the sister explained.

@pinkangel876 Part 2 #baby #air #sky #borninthesky #airbaby #foryou #fyp #jamacantiktok ♬ original sound - kendaleerhoden

After takeoff, while in the air, her sister's water broke. They alerted a flight attendant who called for doctors and medical professionals on the flight. They rushed the pregnant woman to the back of the plane where she proceeded to birth her child.

"It was like 30 minutes. It was quick, it was real quick," her sister said. "Even every passenger on the plane was like, 'she's finished already?'"

The flight attendants announced that a boy had been born and the entire plane erupted in applause before the plane emergency landed and the woman was wheelchaired off the plane.

@pinkangel876 To the 4 heroes, thank you #airbaby #sky #skybaby #Dominicanrepublic #a#americanairlinesm#momb#baby ♬ original sound - kendaleerhoden

The child has jokingly been nicknamed "baby air" and "sky" with others claiming the baby was "born to travel."

American Airlines confirmed that the birth took place on one of their flights in a statement to Newsweek.

"On Sept. 7, American Airlines flight 2443 from New York (JFK) to Punta Cana (PUJ) declared an emergency before landing due a medical emergency on board," the airline told the outlet. "First responders met the flight upon landing and the customer was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation."

The woman and her son are reportedly in good health, though it is noted that the baby was originally born prematurely.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

'Nobody Ever Gave Me Anything': More Boomers Say They're Not Transferring Wealth to Family Until They're Dead

A new survey from Charles Schwab found boomers are more hesitant to distribute their wealth than other generations.

Business News

Your Old Apple AirPods Can Soon Act as an Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid, According to the FDA

The new software is compatible with the Apple AirPods Pro and accessible through iOS — for free and now FDA-authorized.

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business News

Over 1,300 Google Employees Have Signed a New Petition Asking For Job Security

Google laid off thousands of employees in the past two years, which has left some employees feeling insecure about keeping their jobs.

Side Hustle

This 29-Year-Old Quit Working 12-Hour Overnight Shifts Because Her Side Hustle Brings In Up to $8,000 a Month: 'It Makes Me Happy'

Breanna Meertins picked up a fun hobby in her free time — then learned about an opportunity that would change everything.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.