Airbus plane spotted "having fun" over Ireland

Flight tracking website AirLive.net spotted the moment an Airbus plane was "having fun" in the air over Ireland.

The A320neo was caught flying a series of loops over the Limerick/Shannon area and after leaving Toulouse, France.

See also: Boeing aircraft flies at five times the speed of sound

According to the Daily Post, the plane was on a test flight as part of a certification campaign for the Airbus A320neo.

An Airbus spokesman said the unusual route was part of normal flight testing.

See also: Airbus reveals bicycle-style seats to fit more passengers on planes

Airbus says its A320neo is the "world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft" which incorporate two new engine choices, Sharklets fuel-saving wingtip devices and an optimised cabin to deliver efficiency and comfort on the single-aisle jetliners.

There are more than 4,300 A320neos currently on order.

Earlier this week, Airbus and Aerion announced that they hope their AS2 supersonic private jet which will take passengers from London to New York in three hours, will be running test flights as soon as 2021 and commercial flights could be taking place from 2023.

The plane is expected to reach speeds of 1,217mph - which is only slightly slower than the top speed of 1,350mph that Concorde reached in the past.

This will make a significant difference to those making the journey as flights currently take between seven and eight hours.