An elderly woman has been released without charge after she was removed from a flight that was forced to divert to Shannon airport on Friday night and questioned over an alleged air rage incident.
It is understood the 87-year-old woman became disruptive on board the transatlantic jet, en route from Frankfurt to Toronto, and that at least one cabin crew member was assaulted.
The jet was over 1000 kilometres north west of Shannon when the crew opted to turn around.
The woman, who is believed to have been travelling in the first class cabin, had to be restrained by cabin crew members who alerted the flight crew.
The pilot made contact with the Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) North Atlantic Communications Service centre at Ballygirreen in Co Clare and advised them of the situation and requested the authorities to be on standby for their arrival in Shannon.
Gardaí and airport police officers were standing by for Air Canada flight ACA-877 when it landed at Shannon at about 8.15pm.
Airport emergency services were standing by at strategic locations along the runway so that they could follow the aircraft once it had landed.
The crew also dumped aviation fuel over the Atlantic to ensure they could touch down within safe landing weight limits. The crew reported a problem with the fuel dumping procedure which they appear to have resolved later.
The flight touched down safely at 8.14pm and was able to taxi directly to the terminal building where it was met by airport police officers and gardaí.
The woman was arrested and taken to Shannon garda station for questioning.