Flight turned around after mother leaves baby at airport
Pilot of Malaysia-bound plane praised for treating incident as an emergency
A new viral video captures the moment when the pilot of a flight from Saudi Arabia to Malaysia requests permission to turn around - after a mother on board realised she had left her baby at the departure terminal.
The panicked young woman reportedly begged the crew on Flight SV832 to take action after realised her infant child was still at King Abdul Aziz International Airport, in Jeddah. The pilot immediately requested permission from air traffic control to return to the gate, an exchange captured on the video.
The pilot can be heard saying: “May God be with us. Can we come back or what?”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The operator is then heard asking another colleague about the protocol in such an event, reports Gulf News.
“This flight is requesting to come back... a passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing,” the operator says.
There are contradictory reports as to whether the flight had taken off or was still on the tarmac.
What has been confirmed is that the mother was reunited with her unharmed baby. It is rare for planes to turn around for any reason besides serious health or technical emergencies, but the pilot has been praised online for his rapid response to the distressed woman’s pleas.
How the mother came to forget the infant is unclear, “but it would not be the first high-profile story of a parent unwittingly leaving a child behind,” says The Daily Telegraph. The newspapers notes that former PM David Cameron once left his then eight-year-old daughter Nancy in a Buckinghamshire pub.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'A new era of hurricanes'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
How Britain's demographic is changing
A 50-year record population increase was fuelled by greater migration
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The story of Japanese jeweller Tasaki
The Blend A revival in the use of pearls in fashion and jewellery design places heritage brand Tasaki centre stage
By Felix Bischof Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
A brief history of third parties in the US
In Depth Though none of America's third parties have won a presidential election, they have nonetheless had a large impact on the country's politics
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Modern royal scandals from around the world
The Explainer From Spain to the UAE, royal families have often been besieged by negative events
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published