Tag Archives: Shannon airport

FOUR percent of all passengers to Irish airports in 2021 went through Shannon, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show. Obviously Covid-19 was very disruptive to aviation last year, making for a very strange year. Shannon’s 4% was ahead of Cork which had 3%, but Cork was closed for a couple of months due to works on its runway. Dublin was hugely dominant in terms of Irish aviation, with 90% of all passengers. Shannon had 322,162 passengers during the year, only one fifth of the 2019 figure, just before the pandemic. The figure was almost 50,000 ahead of 2020. Shannon dealt with 4,836 different flights over the course of the year. The three most used links with Shannon were all London airports. The busiest route was Stansted with 63,624 passengers, while 33,797 passengers travelled on the London Gatwick route and 24,050 on London Heathrow. The Heathrow services were significantly reduced in 2021 and the figure would presumably have been …

Two men in their 80s accused of criminal damage and trespass at Shannon Airport were “the nicest and most courteous protesters” an airport officer had ever met, their trial has heard. Richard Moloney, a former police fire officer at Shannon Airport, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Ken Mayers (85) and Tarak Kauff (80) told him they were going to check an American aircraft when he apprehended them on a taxiway at the airport in March 2019. “They were very courteous. I had no hassle dealing with them,” Mr Moloney told Tony McGillicuddy BL, prosecuting, this Tuesday. “They said they were peace protesters. I said, ‘Unfortunately I have to hold you here for your own safety’.” Under questioning from defence counsel, Mr Moloney agreed it was immediately obvious to him that the men were protesters and he soon saw that they were elderly. “As the man says, this was not my first rodeo dealing with protesters,” Mr Moloney said. “These …

SCOTTISH company Prestwick Aircraft Maintenance whose sole client is Ryanair is set to open a Shannon base, where up to 200 people will be employed.  The aircraft maintenance company provides services to the Irish carrier’s aircraft and will take on a hangar that had previously been used by Lufthansa, but has been vacant more recently.  It would be a significant jobs boost for Shannon, and it is understood that Shannon Group and Prestwick Aircraft Maintenance are close to signing a contract.  The company already employs around 500 at Prestwick Airport in Scotland and around 1,300 at other locations around Europe. Clare TD Joe Carey said that getting the company to Shannon is very welcome. “This is very positive news for Shannon and the whole aircraft maintenance sector locally. The Mid West had a blow last year when Lufthanasa Technik Shannon announced they were to cease operations, but thankfully Atlantic Aviation Group came in and acquired a large part of that …

Two American octogenarians have gone on trial accused of criminal damage and trespass at Shannon Airport on St Patricks Day three years ago, leading to the closure of a runway, writes Isabel Hayes. Ken Mayers (85) and Tarak Kauff (80), both with addresses in the US, are accused of damaging a perimeter fence before allegedly trespassing the lands of the Co Clare airport, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard this Monday. The pair, who were wearing high vis vests bearing the words ‘Veterans for Peace’, walked on to a taxiway at the airport, causing airport personnel to close the runway for a period of time, Tony McGillicuddy BL, prosecuting, told the jury. A plane which was due to land at the airport was unable to do so for the course of that warning, the court heard. Mr Mayers and Mr Kauff have each pleaded not guilty to three counts in relation to the alleged incident. Mr Mayers, of Monte Alte Road, …

THE CHAIR of Clare County Council has asked that Shannon Airport be marketed as “the gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way”. At the April meeting of the local authority, Councillor PJ Ryan called on the Council to request Shannon Group, Clare Tourism, Fáilte Ireland and other tourism-related bodies to undertake the marketing initiative. A written reply from Deirdre O’Shea, Acting Head of Tourism said that the success of Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way brand “presents a unique opportunity for the marketing of Shannon Airport”. “The Clare Tourism Advisory Forum, as an industry stakeholder-led forum comprises of representatives from Clare Tourism Department, Tourism businesses and State agencies, to include Fáilte Ireland and Shannon Group, meets on a bi-monthly basis,” the response said. “The marketing of Shannon Airport is a recurring agenda item. This facilitates all partners on the forum working collaboratively to ensure that Shannon Airport and air connectivity to the West of Ireland receives continued priority through collaborative marketing nationally …

John Galvin was beguiled by the cultural wealth, fabulous food and warm hospitality of the Mediterranean island. When we think of Malta, perhaps nothing immediately springs to mind, except for vague notions of sandy beaches and blue Mediterranean waters. Malta in fact is an intriguing mix of cultures, having spend much of its history conquered by other countries, only gaining its independence in the 1960s. We explored the islands as guests of Visit Malta, to mark the start of direct Ryanair flights from Shannon to Valletta. We managed to pack a lot into three days but I’d suggest that the delights of the islands should be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace. With two flights a week, it would be easy to tailor the perfect trip. Malta’s first capital, Mdina, gives the feel of an open air museum, with its narrow, traffic free streets and mix of architectural styles, dating back to medieval times. The ramparts impart breathtaking views of …

Shannon Airport has received globally recognised accreditation for its efforts in tackling carbon emissions. The airport joins over 200 European airports engaged in one of six available certification levels of the Airport Council International (ACI) Europe’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. The programme is a voluntary carbon management certification standard for airports, that independently assesses and certifies airports for their efforts in managing and reducing their carbon emissions. Having previously become a signatory on the ACI net zero 2050 pledge, the airport now joins 79 other accredited airports in 15 countries that have been certified for Level 1 – Mapping of the carbon accreditation programme. The award follows the airport signing up to the groundbreaking Toulouse Declaration in February of this year, which marked the first time that European Governments, the European Commission, industry, unions, and other key stakeholders formally aligned on aviation decarbonisation. Welcoming the accreditation Sinéad Murphy, Head of Sustainability at Shannon Group said: “We are delighted to receive …

FUNDING of €4.3 million has been announced for Shannon Airport under the Regional Airports Programme 2022. Welcoming the allocation by Hildegarde Naughton TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Shannon Group CEO Mary Considine said the funding was very welcome as the airport continued its recovery. “The funding for Shannon Airport announced today by Minister Naughton will enable the airport to invest in vital infrastructure and rebuild in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ms Considine. “While we have made good strides in restoring air services at Shannon with 26 services to 11 destinations for summer 2022 secured, there is still a challenging few years ahead for the aviation sector. We are grateful for this Government support and will use it to continue to fund vital improvements to our airport infrastructure.” Positive news for @ShannonAirport of €4,347,750 Capital Allocation Funding announced by Min @1Hildegarde. Continued investment & promotion of the airport crucial for Clare & Mid West …