A transatlantic flight returned to Shannon Airport this afternoon after a passenger was injured on board.
Flight EI-111 had left Shannon at 12.20pm and was about an hour into its journey to New York when the crew turned around. There were 172 passengers on board.
It’s understood a man sustained a head injury after a fall. The man is believed to have lost consciousness.
The Boeing 757-200 jet was over 500kms west of Shannon when the crew advised air traffic controllers that they would have to return to Shannon. The crew requested emergency medical services to be alerted and standing by for their arrival.
Airport fire crews were also standing by for the flight when it landed almost two hours after first departing.
The passenger has been removed to hospital for treatment. It’s not yet clear when the flight will continue its journey.
While Aer Lingus declined to comment on what happened to the passenger, according to others on board, a man fell, hit his head and was knocked unconscious.
An Aer Lingus spokesman said: “We don’t comment on individual passengers’ welfare.
The flight continued its journey to New York about an hour after returning.