Understanding the (particle) transport processes through the planar turbulent air curtain jet – a ventilation concept designed to reduce the spread of airborne particles and thus possible airborne infections – is important prior to its implementation in a future passenger cabin. In the present study, two-dimensional Particle Image Velocimetry is used to investigate the deflection of an exhalation jet by an air curtain as well as the deflection of the air curtain itself as an indicator of a possible breakthrough of the exhalation jet. The strength of the two opposing jets is varied by changing the air curtain momentum flux to achieve four different momentum flux ratios \(\gamma \) between 0.17 \(\le \gamma \le \) 6.88. Strong deflections of the exhalation jet were observed for \(\gamma = 3.47\) and \(\gamma =\) 6.88, while less deflection and a (temporal) breakthrough of the air curtain were obtained for \(\gamma = 0.65\) and \(\gamma =\) 0.17.