DUSHANBE, October 15, 2011, Asia-Plus -- It was a packed flight from Dushanbe to Moscow, but passengers and crew were more than happy to make room for one extra person on the night of October 13-14 when a young women from Dushanbe gave birth to a baby boy.

Ms. Lola Kenjayeva, a spokeswoman for Tajik air company, Tajik Air, said that during registration of the flight at the Dushanbe airport, Shabnam Rahimova had not informed the airport employees and the crew that she was at the last stage of pregnancy.

“Therefore, nobody expected mom-to-be Shabnam to go into labor on the flight,” said the spokeswoman.  “However, two hours before landing Shabnam went into labor, giving birth in Kazakh airspace.  Fortunately there was a medical worker (nurse) among passengers, and with assistance of air hostesses Tatiana Ryashchentseva, Farangiz Mirzoyeva, Mehrangez Kamolova and Olga Solovyova, she helped Shabnam with delivery of the baby.”

Ms. Kenjayeva added that Tajik Air, as well as other airline companies, bans pregnant women from flying after the third trimester begins at six months.  “Notwithstanding the strict rules, pregnant women conceal their real terms by providing false medical documents.”

It is to be noted that that it is the third case in history of Tajik national air carrier.  The first case occurred on December 23, 2007, when a baby boy was born on a plane of Tajik Air on the flight from St. Petersburg to Dushanbe and the second case occurred on February 9, 2009 when a baby girl was born on the Tajik Air flight from Moscow to Dushanbe.