Up in the air: Lebanese airline crew help deliver baby mid-flight

A Filipina woman reportedly went into labour mid-air on the Beirut-bound flight from Doha, in what was described as a rare occasion in the airline's history.

Crew members immediately notified the pilot, who diverted the flight to Kuwait, but the woman gave birth over Iraqi airspace before landing.

The crew asked if there was a doctor on board who could assist with the delivery, according to Lebanon's Daily Star, before stepping up to help her deliver the baby.

The woman and her baby disembarked in Kuwait, where they were given medical attention, as the flight continued to Beirut.

A picture circulated online showing an MEA crew member holding the newborn girl, wrapped in a blue scarf.

MEA's chairperson Mohammad Al Hout, hailed the pilot and crew for professionally handling the situation.

"We're proud of the crew, their high level of training and the way they acted," Al Hout said in a press release.

"They proved their compassion, professionalism and drive which is of utmost importance."

Similiar incidents have been reported on Middle Eastern flights recently. 

In April 2017, the cabin crew of Turkish Airlines helped a passenger deliver a baby girl 12,800 meters up in the air.