A baby was born at 35,000ft when the mother went into labour during a flight in Indonesia.

The 33-week pregnant mum was on board Citilink flight QG 417, flying from Pontianak to Surabaya on Tuesday, March 11, when she started experiencing contractions.

Her waters broke and the crew immediately began searching for a midwife or doctor onboard to assist.

Passenger Tessa, a midwife, volunteered to help despite struggling with the limited equipment available on the plane. Flight attendants assisted her during the delivery.

Footage from onboard the Airbus A320 single-aisle plane shows the baby wrapped in cloth while aboard the aircraft.

Tessa said: 'Praise God, the delivery went smoothly until finally the Citilink pilot announced that a baby boy had been born at an altitude of 35,000ft.'

The mum and her 'skyborn' baby were taken to the nearest hospital for post-natal care and treatment, with close coordination from the Health Quarantine Centre.

Tashia Scholz, Head of Corporate Secretary and CSR Division at PT Citilink Indonesia confirmed the birth, saying: 'We can confirm that it is true that a passenger gave birth to a baby on the Citilink QG 417 flight on the Pontianak -Surabaya route, which was scheduled to depart at 07:35 local time and land safely at 09:32 local time.

'Citilink ensures that all passenger travel documents are in accordance with procedures, and passengers have been declared fit to fly.'

Most airlines permit pregnant women to fly domestically up to 36 weeks of pregnancy. However, for international flights, the restrictions are usually stricter, with the cut-off ranging from 28 to 35 weeks. Since labour is more likely to occur after 37 weeks, or around 32 weeks for a straightforward twin pregnancy, these guidelines are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of both mother and baby during travel.