‘Youngest customer to date.’ Baby boy born aboard a JetBlue flight to Fort Lauderdale
A leading complaint among frequent fliers, right up there with shrinking leg room and sick neighbors, is too many bawling babies on the plane.
But JetBlue passengers heading to Fort Lauderdale on Friday night had one more baby on the flight when they landed than when they took off.
Crew and medical professionals on board helped a mother deliver the airline’s “youngest customer to date” on the two hour and 50 minute flight.
Flight 1954 departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico and landed in Fort Lauderdale before 11:30 p.m. Friday, a JetBlue spokeswoman wrote in a statement to the Miami Herald.
Medical personnel met the plane at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and checked out mom and the baby while passengers looked on and filmed the encounter.
A crew member shared photos from his improbable day at work on Facebook, writing “First baby I know of born on our aircraft.”
“We’d like to thank the crew and medical professionals on board for their quick action under pressure, and wish the new mother and son all the best,” the spokeswoman said. “Flight 1954 was operated on aircraft N523JB, coincidentally named, “Born To Be Blue.””
JetBlue announced on Twitter that it would like to rename the plane after the baby — with his mom’s approval. The spokeswoman said in an email that Friday’s airborne birth was “a first for JetBlue, so our teams have been discussing some ideas.”
“With mom’s okay, we’d like to rename ‘Born To Be Blue’ after our newest baby blue and our youngest customer ever. More baby shower gifts to come!” the company wrote on Twitter.
Such gifts are not uncommon for babies born in strange, corporate places.
In 2017, Spirit Airlines gifted a baby born on a Fort Lauderdale-to-Dallas flight with free flights on his birthday for life.
In July 2018, a baby girl born inside a Texas Chik-fil-A bathroom received free food for life and a guaranteed job when she turns 14.
Less than a week later, a Georgia Six Flags welcomed a newborn baby to their park with free Diamond Elite Memberships for life.
This story was originally published February 16, 2019 at 4:08 PM.
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