A passenger who joined an Aer Lingus flight to New York at Shannon on Sunday has been hospitalised after breaking her leg during air turbulence.
Mr Tom McInerney, general manager of Aer Lingus in Shannon, said there were 302 passengers on board flight EI 111, an Airbus A330, when it experienced "wake turbulence" at 39,000 feet over the Atlantic. It was 1 1/2 hours from Kennedy Airport, New York.
The plane, which originated in Belfast, was flying eight miles behind another aircraft when it passed into the lead aircraft's slipstream. This is where hot air blown out by the jet engines causes a localised change in air pressure. The aircraft was thrown violently upwards.
The injured woman was in the aisle when the incident occurred, he added. She was attended by a doctor on board and by the crew. She was hospitalised on arrival. Mr McInerney said air turbulence was frequent and wake turbulence was "not unusual".
The incident is being investigated by Aer Lingus and the US National Transportation Safety Board.