Wellington  - A woman gave birth Thursday during a flight to Auckland from Apia on the Pacific island of Samoa and then left the baby behind when she got off the plane, news reports said.

An Auckland Airport spokeswoman was quoted by the Stuff news website as saying that a member of the Pacific Blue airline staff found the baby after the plane landed after the four-hour flight and passengers disembarked.

Police were investigating whether the baby had been abandoned.

It was not known whether other passengers and crew on the flight noticed the woman was in labour, the New Zealand Press Association quoted an unnamed Auckland Airport spokeswoman as saying.

Inspector Kerry Watson said the mother and child were taken to hospital where both were reported to be in good health. (dpa)