VIDEO: Woman gives birth in American airspace then is deported, baby remains

A woman who gave birth at 30,000 feet has been deported from the U.S. and separated from her baby, who remains in Alaska, after the infant was born in American airspace and was given American citizenship, the New York Daily News reported, adding that the woman, known only as “Jian,” was flying from Taiwan to Los Angeles on China Airlines when she gave birth earlier this month.

Recent claims have surfaced that she refused to lay down to give birth and repeatedly asked airline staff, “Are we in U.S. airspace yet?” the Daily News stated.

Flight attendant Lucienne Chen said that Jian did not tell airline staff that she was nearly 32-weeks pregnant when she boarded, reported Shanghaiist.com.

Infants are not allowed to fly before they are 14 days old, so the child is now under the care of state authorities in Alaska, the Daily News claimed, adding thatJian gave birth in airspace above Alaska with the assistance of medical professionals on the flight before the airplane underwent an emergency landing at Anchorage’s Ted Stevens International Airport.

Dr. Angelica Zen, who delivered the baby, was quoted by the Daily News: “It was very difficult. We had to work under very constraining circumstances.”

Shanghaiist reported that the mother will be liable for the cost of diverting the flight and quoted Taiwan’s Transportation Minister Chen Jian-yu:“Compensation [to China Airlines] will likely be inevitable.”

“The woman is tough as nails,” passenger Amira Rajput, who filmed the video, said after the incident, according to the report. “People were super-quiet and calm so that this woman could have a stress-free experience.”