.A United Airlines aircraft.
Passengers on a transatlantic flight from Ireland to the United States suffered an unexpected turnback after the aircraft carrying them developed a mid-air technical issue.
The US-bound United Airlines flight aborted its planned flight to Newark, New Jersey, from Shannon Airport after less than two hours in the air as crew members on board declared a technical issue.
United Airlines flight UAL-271 left the Clare airport at 12.30pm on Saturday, May 16 and touched back down safely at 2.17pm, before being met by emergency services as a precaution.
No injuries were reported amongst the passengers or crew on board the Boeing 757-200 and operations at Shannon Airport continued as normal.
A spokesperson for Shannon Airport said: “The crew reported a technical issue and returned to Shannon. The aircraft landed safely and without incident. Emergency services were on standby as a precaution, which is standard protocol. Passenger safety is our top priority, and we acknowledge the professionalism of the crew and all responding teams.”
Passengers were accommodated overnight at local hotels before resuming their journey to Newark airport on Sunday 17th May at 12:45pm.