Flight emergency: I forgot my baby at the airport

A passenger plane reportedly had to turn around and go back to a Saudi airport after a mother left her baby at the terminal.

The Saudia flight from Jeddah was said to be on its way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when the woman realised she was missing her child and alerted cabin crew.

The pilot then had to request permission to return to Jeddah from baffled air traffic controllers, Arab media reported.

The woman had left the child behind in the departure lounge at King Abdul Aziz International Airport, according to Gulf News

A voice recording, which has been widely shared online in the Arab world, reveals how puzzled aviation staff tried to deal with the crisis.

The pilot reportedly asked them: ‘May God be with us. Can we come back or what?’

One of the controllers can then be heard asking a colleague: ‘This flight is requesting to come back…a passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing.’

They then said: ‘OK, head back to the gate. This is totally a new one for us!’

The bizarre delay reportedly took place over the weekend.

Flight-tracking data showed a Saudia flight from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur departing almost an hour late on Saturday, but it was unclear if this was the same one.

Aeroflot Buys Used Planes for Spare Parts Amid Sanctions

In the face of ongoing Western sanctions that have severely impacted Russia’s aviation industry, Aeroflot, the country’s largest airline, has devised a strategic plan to bolster its fleet’s spare parts inventory.

The airline is set to acquire five Boeing 737-800BCF freighters from Atran Airlines, a move that will allow it to dismantle the aircraft for critical components. The planes, which will be transferred to Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, will not be converted into passenger jets but instead will be stripped for valuable parts to support existing operations.

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Aeroflot’s plan to purchase these Boeing 737-800BCF freighters comes as part of a broader strategy to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions, which have crippled the Russian aviation sector. With the sanctions restricting access to essential aircraft parts and spare components, Aeroflot is exploring alternative ways to maintain and repair its fleet.

Instead of converting the freighters from cargo to passenger planes, a process deemed “unreasonably expensive” under current sanctions, the airline intends to focus on extracting high-value components such as engines, landing gear, avionics, and other essential systems.

The deal will be structured in a way that allows Aeroflot to indirectly purchase the freighters through an insurance settlement with the aircraft’s lessor, AerCap.

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The Russian government’s insurance company will reimburse the aircraft’s value, and the planes will then be leased back to local operators. This method circumvents some of the restrictions imposed by international sanctions while ensuring that the airline gains access to the necessary components to support its fleet.

By dismantling the aircraft for spare parts, Aeroflot aims to secure critical resources for the ongoing maintenance of its existing fleet. Components from the Boeing 737-800BCF freighters, such as engines and avionics, are expected to be reused in other aircraft within Aeroflot’s network, ensuring that the airline can keep its operations running smoothly