However, the elation quickly wore off, as the airline began to backpedal on their promised "lifetime travel ticket". The airline quickly followed up on the first message – suggesting that it meant free flights for life. . . specifically to Munich.
"Rushdi Zakaria, Chairman of the Holding Company for Egypt, congratulated the passenger Hiyam Nasr Naji Daaban, a Yemeni national, for her safety and granting her newborn a free lifetime travel ticket, which she gave birth on board the plane during the EgyptAir flight yesterday from Cairo to London," messaged the airline.
This was quickly caveated by a message from the airline's board of directors saying: "it is our pleasure to receive a new customer to Egypt to fly to the world on board our plane, and we are also pleased to present her with a souvenir to celebrate with her family and to give her a free ticket for life on Munich flights."
EgyptAir flies to six destinations, in five countries out of Munich. We're sure the new mother is not going to turn her nose up at the offer, and is probably just delighted that her baby was born safely – however this is far from the 130 destinations on the Airlines' international network.
Last year CN Traveler reported that fewer than 60 people had been born on a plane. With international passengers topping 3.5 billion last year, it is extremely rare for babies to be born on flights.
This is in part due to the fact that expectant mothers cannot fly without prior medical approval beyond 28 weeks. International flights will have much stricter cut-offs. Etihad for example will not carry woman who are over 36 weeks pregnant.
The last case of a baby being delivered on a plane came from an American Airlines flight to Charlotte, North Carolina, last December.
While the child was not given "free lifetime travel" it did get a fitting name – with the mother naming her child baby "Sky".
