Child birth in airplane is very rare because pregnant woman are rarely allowed to fly at all in their third trimester. Only 75 babies born in the past century of aviation history, according to rough estimates. Determining the nationality of the baby whose place of birth in an airplane or vessel is an important subject.

While rare, babies are born on airplanes every year, a phenomenon known as an in-flight birth. Most airlines have policies discouraging travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy, but unexpected early labors do occur. When a birth happens, the cabin crew is trained in basic first aid, and the pilot will typically call for any medical professionals on board while coordinating an emergency diversion to the nearest airport. Interestingly, the citizenship of a baby born in the air can be complex. Depending on the circumstances and the location of the aircraft at the time of birth, the baby might acquire the citizenship of the country the plane is flying over (Jus soli), the citizenship of the parents (Jus sanguinis), or even the citizenship of the country where the aircraft is registered. Some airlines, like Virgin Atlantic or Thai Airways, have famously granted "free flights for life" to babies born on their aircraft, though this is a mythic tradition rather than a standard legal requirement.