Irish Aviation Authority — Multiple Pilot UAP Reports, Atlantic

On November 9, 2018, Aer Lingus Flight EI-CDY, a Boeing 767 flying from Toronto to Dublin, was at approximately 26,000 feet west of Donegal, Ireland, when the captain observed a very bright light to her left that appeared to travel at high speed and then split into two. She queried Shannon Area Control Centre (ACC). The Shannon controller acknowledged and asked if there was other traffic to report. A British Airways flight crew and a Virgin Atlantic flight crew both confirmed they had also observed bright objects in the same area moving at extreme speed. One crew described objects 'manoeuvring and climbing at speed.' The Aer Lingus captain described objects going from her southwest to her northeast at 'absolutely astronomical' speed. Shannon ATC filed reports. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) opened a formal investigation into the reports. The IAA's investigation was completed and concluded that the objects were real sightings by credentialed commercial pilots but could not be identified. The investigation report noted speeds were assessed as exceeding Mach 1 based on crew descriptions, but no sonic boom was detected. The IAA findings were reported publicly by the BBC and Irish media. The case is notable as one of the few European civilian aviation authority formal UAP investigations with multiple simultaneous independent pilot witnesses over a major oceanic route.