Pope Francis notched up another first by marrying a couple on board a papal flight at 36,000ft.

In what is believed to be a first in the history of the Catholic Church, the Pope formally joined in matrimony an air steward and a stewardess, Carlos Ciuffardi, 41, and Paula Podest, 39.

They had hoped to have a church ceremony when they married in 2010 but their parish church in the capital, Santiago, was badly damaged by an earthquake.

The magnitude 8.8 quake caused widespread damage and triggered a tsunami, resulting in the loss of more than 500 lives.

Instead they had a civil ceremony and have since had two children.