Doctors took turns to perform CPR on ill baby who later died on AirAsia flight bound for Perth

A woman who watched a baby girl take her last breath on a flight to Perth has told of the haunting silence on the plane as passengers hoped for the child to be resuscitated.

Nadia Parenzee, a former nurse, was holding the baby on the AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur when the medical emergency unfolded.

"Everybody was just on edge, waiting to hear that baby’s breath, and that scream. And it just didn’t come ," Ms Parenzee said.

"I can probably count five breaths in about a minute when I was holding her, she was gasping for her last breaths .

"She was grey in colour and she was struggling to breath, so I said a little prayer .

"As soon as I said that she went limp and I said to the stewardess, 'this is a medical emergency '."

Four doctors took turns performing CPR for more than two hours but were unable to save the two-month-old. 

The coroner is still determining the cause of her death but 9News has been told the baby suffered a medical emergency.

Witnesses say the baby had been crying uncontrollably for hours and is believed to have been suffering with a respiratory illness and was struggling to breathe.

Crew on board the AirAsia plane called for help after the infant suffered a medical episode.

The aircraft was met by a team of medical specialists, airport authorities and WA police upon landing.

AirAsia has since released a statement, saying the safety and well-being of their passengers is their number one priority.

However, it would not comment further on the infant’s medical situation.

9News has been told the family are from Saudi Arabia.

The AirAsia flight D7237 landed at Perth international airport at 5.30 this morning, and was set to take off again at 6.50am. However it only took off again before noon, local time.

Federal police and forensic officers were completing a final investigation of the circumstances surrounding the infant's death.

Police are also interviewing staff who were on board the flight.

An infant’s capsule was seen being removed from the air craft and police have taken away bags of evidence.