Baby Born On Southwest Flight Bound For Phoenix Shortly After Takeoff

A woman gave birth aboard a Southwest Airlines flight on Tuesday morning. Shortly after Flight 623’s takeoff at 6:24 a.m., the woman into labor and gave birth with the help of a doctor and nurse on the flight, according to Southwest officials speaking to ABC News. The flight, originally scheduled to fly from San Francisco to Phoenix, was diverted to Los Angeles International Airport following the birth.

Upon landing in Los Angeles, the plane was greeted by paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

"LAFD praises an [emergency room registered nurse] that assisted the mother in giving birth prior to our arrival," LAFD spokesman Erik Scott said in a statement, according to CNN.

The 111 passengers on Southwest Flight 623 continued their journey to Phoenix through another flight out of Los Angeles International Airport, after being delayed for over two hours. Flight 623 was temporarily removed from service for cleaning, the Associated Press reported.

This wasn’t the first time a child was born on a Southwest Airlines flight. In 2009, a woman gave birth to a baby boy on a flight from Chicago bound for Salt Lake City, according to USA Today. Doctors and nurses on that flight also assisted with the in-flight birth.

Southwest Airlines recommends against travel by air during the 38-week mark of pregnancy, according to its Baby on Board policies. But it generally advises its pregnant customers to consult their doctors before air travel.