BABY BOY DELIVERED ON BOARD AIR ASIA FLIGHT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- A premature baby boy was delivered on
board an AirAsia flight Wednesday night, 30 minutes after the aircraft left
Bayan Lepas Airport in northern state of Penang.

The flight AK5606 was on its way to Kuching, capital city of East Malaysia
state of Sarawak, but had to reroute to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in
Sepang when a pregnant passenger told crew members she was in labour pains.

Liew Siaw Hsia, 31, gave birth through the normal delivery to a premature
but healthy boy, who became the first born in an AirAsia aircraft, Kuala
Lumpur-based budget airline.

Edd Razhe, the personal assistant to AirAsia chairman, said when the
pilot was informed of the emergency, he contacted the control tower requesting a
reroute to LCCT.

"The ambulance was already at the airport to take the woman and her baby to
Putrajaya Hospital," he said when contacted here, Thursday.

Edd said a doctor only known as Ronald helped deliver the baby.

He added although it was an emergency, situation in the aircraft was normal
and under control.

AirAsia Berhad chief operating officer Tony Fernandes, who is in Bangkok,
Thailand, would be back in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the arrival of the
first born at Putrajaya Hospital.

AirAsia will provide a lifetime of free flights to both Liew and her son to
all destinations.
--BERNAMA