Woman born on BA airliner celebrates 18th birthday in the clouds

October 12, 2009 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

Shona Owen pictured with British Airways staff. Photo: Nick Morrish/British Airways

The woman received free first-class tickets from British Airways and flew to Australia to see her grandmother for her birthday.

Deborah Owen was flying back to the U.K. from Ghana in 1991 when an unexpected thing occurred: Deborah went into labor.

She was immediately moved to the first-class cabin of the British Airways DC-10, and the crew asked if a doctor was onboard. Dutch doctor Wym Bakker volunteered his services and before long, Shona Owen was brought into the world.

“It was an amazing day,” said Deborah. “Giving birth in BA’s first-class cabin was far more luxurious than the hospital I was heading home for, and the crew and doctor were marvelous.”

To mark the event, mum Deborah Owen officially named her new baby Shona Kirsty Yves, her initials written as SKY.

Shona now has the distinction of being the only U.K. resident with a passport that declares being “born on an aeroplane, ten miles south of Mayfield, Sussex.”

This year British Airways offered Shona free first-class tickets to help her celebrate her 18th birthday. After some deliberation, she decided to visit her grandmother in Australia.

“I was a bit too young to appreciate all the luxuries of BA’s first-class service last time,” said Shona.

Airline travel rules have since changed requiring pregnant women over 28 weeks to have a doctor’s certificate before they are allowed on a flight.