A family yesterday thanked the cabin crew who delivered a tiny premature baby and then fought to keep him alive at 30,000ft during a holiday flight.

Alfie Delemere was born when his mother Nicola, who was just 25 weeks pregnant, unexpectedly went into labour on a First Choice Airways flight from Manchester to Crete.

Carol Miller, a flight supervisor, supported Mrs Delemere, 31, as the little boy was born weighing just 1lb 1oz while the plane passed over Germany.

Then Ms Miller cleared Alfie's lungs with a drinking straw before carrying out mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage for half-an-hour as the pilot diverted for an emergency landing at London Gatwick.

Alfie was then taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting, south-west London, for specialist care before he was transferred to a hospital in the family's home town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire.

The mid-air emergency happened in April, but Mrs Delemere and her husband Dom, only just decided to talk about it yesterday, following their son's discharge from hospital. He now weighs 5lbs 5oz.

Mr Delemere, 28, said: "I would like thank everyone involved for supporting us, in the air and on the ground. We can't begin to thank Carol enough for saving Alfie's life."

He said he was flying for the first time when his wife went into labour.

Ms Miller, who is based in Manchester, said: "I am delighted to learn Alfie is going home after surviving against all odds.

"He was born very quickly and at first we weren't sure he was breathing, so I just applied my medical training, cleared his lungs gently using the straw and then carried out mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

"We were also lucky to have the support of a retired nurse and ambulance driver on board, until paramedics arrived."

Peter Thomas, the captain of the aircraft, said: "As soon as we realised Nicola had gone into labour we radioed for medical advice from doctors on the ground.

"Air Traffic Control cleared us a direct path into Gatwick and we were able to make a swift landing. The whole crew showed exemplary professionalism and our passengers gave us their full support through an emotional time."

Alfie is the first baby to be born on board a flight in First Choice Airways' 20-year history.

Last September a British Airways flight crew delivered a baby girl with the help of two medical students before the pilot could land at the nearest airport.

The mother went into labour about five hours into a flight from Heathrow to Boston. Staff moved passengers into the first-class cabin before helping the woman give birth, helped by two medical student passengers.

Twelve years ago Paula Dixon, then of Aberdeen, was within 10 minutes of death with a collapsed lung on board a flight from Hong Kong when her life was saved by an emergency operation using makeshift apparatus.

Two doctors on board, Tom Wong, then a senior house officer at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, and Professor Angus Wallace, a surgeon based in Nottingham at the time, battled to save her as she lay across a row of seats.

They performed emergency surgery using a coathanger sterilised with brandy, sticky tape, a bottle of mineral water, and a catheter tube.