A baby boy born mid-flight on a plane from the Philippines to South Korea passed away before the aircraft landed, according to the Incheon International Airport Police Corps.
The baby was delivered on a Jeju Air flight that left Clark International Airport and was scheduled to land at Incheon Airport around 6:21 a.m. on Sunday.
At approximately 6:44 a.m., emergency services received a report that the newborn was not breathing.
Emergency responders arrived at the airport, but by then, the baby’s heart had stopped. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The mother, a Filipino woman in her 30s, was traveling with her husband, mother-in-law, and daughter at the time of the incident.
Authorities at Incheon Airport said they are investigating how the birth happened during the flight and the cause of the infant’s death.
Under international law, incidents occurring on a plane are handled by the country where the aircraft is registered. Since the Jeju Air flight is Korean-registered, South Korean authorities have jurisdiction over the case.
