Things people forget in airport boarding areas: phones, wallets, suitcases, money and other valuables, and apparently, babies. One woman flying out of Jeddah forgot her infant, forcing the plane she was on to return to the airport.
Video of the chat between the pilot of the plane and airport staff has been posted on social media, where it went viral, Gulf News reports. This was the first time ATC operators were asked for permission to return to the airport for this particular reason.
Pilots can request emergency landings, regardless if the plane is up in the air or is just taxing towards the runway, in certain “emergency cases.” That a woman forgot her baby probably didn’t fall in this category, but this pilot chose to consider it such – and acted accordingly.
The incident occurred on flight SV832 from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur, after the child was left in one of the boarding areas at King Abdul Aziz International Airport.
“May God be with us. Can we come back or what?” the pilot asked the air traffic controller, as per the video posted online. When prompted for clarification, because the ATC was unsure he had heard correctly, the pilot responded: “We told you, a passenger left her baby in the terminal and refuses to continue the flight.”
After he consulted with his colleagues, the ATC granted the permission, admitting that “this is a totally new one for us” but feeling sorry for the mother and kid. “A passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing,” one ATC is heard telling another.
Reports online say that the flight took off with a one-hour delay, which is not that bad, considering the unique kind of emergency the pilot and the staff had to deal with. Gulf News doesn’t say whether the mother will be facing any type of charges for the incident.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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