The shock waves induced in the surrounding atmosphere by an air plasma were investigated by laser interferometry. The air‐breakdown plasma was produced by a TEA‐CO2laser in front of a solid target. The results were compared to the predictions of the theory of intense explosions in gases and a good agreement was inferred. It was also determined that the symmetry of the expansion of the initial shock wave is determined by the plasma‐source shape and, accordingly, depends on the laser power density incident on the target surface. However, for further stages all the shock waves expand spherically.