A premature baby has been born 21,000 feet above Bass Strait during a medical transfer with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The baby’s mother went into labor on Monday morning about 33 weeks into her pregnancy.
The decision was made to transfer her with the RFDS from the King Island hospital to Launceston to provide any necessary support.
The mother and the crew left about 3:45pm, and about 15 minutes into the flight, she gave birth to a baby boy.
A spokesperson for the Launceston hospital confirmed while mid-air births were highly unusual in Tasmania, there was no emergency.
The mother and her new son were checked at the hospital and the baby remains in the neo-natal intensive care unit.
He will be assessed today to see what further treatment is required.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
© 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. Read the ABC Disclaimer here.