SEOUL, South Korea – Authorities are investigating the tragic death of a prematurely born infant aboard a Jeju Air flight traveling from the Philippines to Incheon, South Korea, early Sunday morning.

Emergency responders received a report at approximately 6:44 a.m. (local time) that an infant delivered mid-flight was not breathing. By the time medical personnel arrived, the newborn had no pulse and was pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital.

The mother, a Filipino woman in her thirties, was traveling from Clark International Airport with her husband, mother-in-law, and daughter. The Jeju Air flight landed at Incheon International Airport around 6:20 a.m.

According to reports, the mother was between her 23rd and 25th week of pregnancy. Under general airline regulations, women before their 32nd week of pregnancy face no flight restrictions. A Jeju Air official stated that the airline was not informed of the passenger’s pregnancy, making it difficult to prepare for an emergency. “We did our best to respond to the in-flight birth situation,” the official added.

Incheon International Airport Police Corps are investigating the incident. Under international law, a nation retains legal authority—known as flag state jurisdiction—over its flagged vessels, including aircraft. “As the baby was born and died on a Korean-flagged aircraft, Korean authorities will handle the investigation,” a police official said, emphasizing a thorough examination of the circumstances.

Births on commercial flights are rare, with a 2020 study by the International Society of Travel Medicine reporting 74 infants born on commercial flights between 1929 and 2018, 71 of whom survived. Standard procedure for mid-flight births often involves diverting the plane to the nearest airport, as seen in a recent Ryanair flight where a baby was safely born after an emergency diversion to France.