In a rare early-morning medical emergency at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, the swift coordination of the aviation hub’s medical and operational teams led to the safe delivery of a baby girl inside an airport ambulance, turning a moment of crisis into one of life, hope and new beginnings.
At five in the morning on February 10, when most of Mumbai was still asleep, the International-to-International transit corridor at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) became the setting for an extraordinary medical emergency that ended in joy. The calm coordinated response of the medical and operations teams of Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), a subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), ensured the safe birth of a baby girl far from home and in transit between destinations.
The incident unfolded at 5:17 am when airport medical teams received information about a female transit passenger requiring urgent assistance. The passenger, a 26-year-old Tanzanian national, was approximately 36 weeks pregnant and experiencing severe abdominal pain while transiting through the International-to-International area.
A race against time
Recognising the urgency, CSMIA’s medical teams moved swiftly. Within minutes, doctors reached the location and found the passenger in active labour, with contractions and signs of water breakage indicating imminent childbirth. What followed was a race against time, executed with quiet precision.
The expectant mother was carefully transferred onto an airport ambulance buggy stretcher and moved via the terminal lift to the airside ambulance, with seamless support from airline staff and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Terminal Operations teams coordinated closely with immigration officials, enabling the swift issuance of a temporary transit visa and preventing any procedural delay at a critical moment.
By 5:40 am, the ambulance departed the airport for the hospital, accompanied by the airport medical team and airline staff. The journey, however, had barely begun when the situation intensified. As the ambulance navigated early-morning city traffic, the woman went into full labour.
Delivery in motion
Inside the moving vehicle, the airport medical team acted decisively. As labour progressed rapidly, the passenger was assisted with correct positioning. Moments later, crowning began. At 5:45 am, a healthy baby girl was delivered inside the ambulance.
There was no hospital ward or operating theatre, only the steady hands of trained medical professionals and the hum of the city waking up outside. Immediate neonatal care was administered. The newborn announced her arrival with a healthy cry. The umbilical cord was clamped, oral suctioning was performed and Kangaroo Mother Care was initiated to stabilise the baby.
Both mother and child were rushed to the hospital’s emergency room by 5:55 am, where the obstetrics and gynaecology team completed further medical procedures. Hospital authorities later confirmed that both were stable and healthy, with care continuing as per standard obstetric and paediatric protocols.
When systems work as one
Behind this extraordinary outcome was an intricate choreography of coordination. Airport medical teams and Terminal Operations worked seamlessly with airline staff, immigration officials and CISF personnel. Each role mattered. Each response was timely.
The attending medical team included Dr Kritika, Dr Madhu and Dr Kisley, supported by paramedics Madhuri and Ashok, and ambulance driver Omkar. Together, they ensured that what could have been a high-risk emergency ended in relief and joy.
For MIAL, such moments rarely make headlines, yet they reflect the unseen responsibility of operating one of India’s busiest aviation hubs. Airports are often described as gateways. In that moment, the airport became something far more personal, a place where life began safely, far from home, in transit between journeys.
As India’s aviation infrastructure continues to expand under AAHL, the episode serves as a reminder that beyond terminals and runways, airports are ultimately about people. Sometimes, even in the most unexpected circumstances, preparedness, professionalism and compassion come together to deliver a miracle.
That morning, a journey paused. A life welcomed with a baby girl who entered the world, carried not by chance, but by a system ready for the extraordinary.
Share
Tweet
