Hong Kong - A woman gave birth to a boy on board a flight from Hong Kong to Australia, a news report said Thursday.

Parmajit Kaur, 29, was returning from a visit to her family in India. She went into labour on the last leg of a journey back to Adelaide, where she lives.

Kaur, who was 34-weeks pregnant, gave birth to a healthy 2.7- kilogramme boy with the help of four doctors who were on board the flight Wednesday morning, the South China Morning Post reported.

The plane diverted to Darwin where the mother and newborn were taken to hospital before the remaining passengers continued their journey, the report said.

Pregnant women are allowed to fly at up to 36 weeks with Cathay Pacific so long as they have a doctor's certificate that they are fit to travel, a spokeswoman for the airline said.

Unfortunately for Kaur's son, the belief that babies born on a flight are entitled to a lifetime of free air travel is just an urban myth, the spokeswoman added. (dpa)