| Shannon International Airport Aerfort na Sionnainne |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| IATA: SNN – ICAO: EINN | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Commercial | ||
| Operator | Dublin Airport Authority | ||
| Serves | Shannon, County Clare | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 46 ft / 14 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 06/24 | 10,496 | 3,200 | Asphalt |
| 13/31 | 5,642 | 1,720 | Asphalt |
Shannon International Airport (IATA: SNN, ICAO: EINN), or Aerfort na Sionna in Irish is one of Ireland's primary three airports (along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport). An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around Dublin Airport Authority plc or Údaras Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath cpt in Irish (known until 1 October 2004 as Aer Rianta cpt The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land. A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Asphalt ( is a sticky black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude Petroleums and in some natural deposits sometimes termed asphaltum An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Cork Airport, ( Irish: Aerfort Chorcaí is one of the three principal International airports in the Republic of Ireland (along with It is the second busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland (after Dublin) with 3. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. 62 million passengers in 2007. The airport is located in Shannon, County Clare, around 24 km (15 mi) from Ennis and 25 km (16 mi) from Limerick City. Shannon or Shannon Town ( An tSionna in Irish) named after the river near which it stands is a New town located in County Ennis ( is the County town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster
The largest operator at the airport is low-fares airline Ryanair, which will base a total of five aircraft at the airport in 2008 operating over 30 routes during the summer season. Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK Around 60% of passengers at Shannon travel on Ryanair. The airport has U.S. border preclearance services, enabling US Bound passengers to have their paperwork dealt with before their flight, saving time upon arrival. The United States maintains border preclearance facilities at a number of ports and airports in foreign countries Dublin and Shannon are the only two European airports with such facililties.
The airport has the longest runway in Ireland, and was used as a training airfield for Concorde. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The airport continues to be used regularly for training purposes by several airlines, and is listed as an emergency landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle. NASA 's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System ( STS) is the Spacecraft currently used by the United States [1] [2]
Contents |
History
In the late 1930s, transatlantic air traffic was dominated by Flying Boats and the 'European Terminal' was at Foynes on the south side of the Shannon Estuary. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. A flying boat is a specialised form of Aircraft that is designed to take off from and land on water using its Fuselage as a floating hull. Foynes ( Faing in Irish) is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on However, it was realised that changing technology would require a runway and airport. A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land.
In 1936 the Irish Government confirmed that it would develop a 3. The Government of Ireland (Rialtas na hÉireann n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ is the Cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. 1 km² (760 acre) site at Rineanna for the country's first transatlantic airport. Allegations persist that the placement of the airport on the North bank of the Shannon river rather than the South close to where the Foynes terminal was established was due to the fact that the then Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Eamon DeValera represented Clare (on the North bank) in the Dail (Irish Parliament) and the subsequent jobs created during the construction phase and in the operation of the facility would benefit the Taoiseach's constituents and assist in increasing his vote in any election. The Taoiseach (ˈtiːʃəx in English t̪ˠiːʃʲəx (plural Taoisigh ( or) in Irish) also referred to as An Taoiseach ( t̪ˠiːʃʲəx is the the Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament The Parliament of Ireland (Irish Parlaimint na hEireann) was a Legislature that existed from mediæval times until 1800.
The land on which the airport was to be built was boggy, and on October 8, 1936 work began to drain the land. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. By 1942 a serviceable airport had been established, named Shannon Airport. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. By 1945 the existing runways at Shannon were extended to allow transatlantic flights to land. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar When World War II ended the airport was ready to be used by the many new post-war commercial airlines of Europe and North America. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including On September 16, 1945 the first transatlantic proving flight, a Pan Am DC-4, landed at Shannon from New York. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous On October 24, the first scheduled commercial flight passed through Shannon Airport. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat It was a Douglas DC-4 which belonged to American Overseas Airlines. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout American Overseas Airlines (AOA was an Airline that flew between the USA and Europe between 1945 and 1950 Trans World Airways (TWA), Pan American Airways (Pan Am) and BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) also began operations in 1945. Trans World Airlines ( TWA) renamed TWA Airlines LLC in 2001 was a major U The British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC) was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946
The number of international carriers rose sharply in succeeding years as Shannon became well known as the gateway between Europe and the Americas. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Limitation of aircraft range necessitated refuelling stops on many journeys. Shannon became the most convenient and obvious stopping point before and after the trip across the Atlantic. In 1947 the Customs Free Airport Act established Shannon as the world's first Duty Free Airport, where transit and embarking passengers were exempt from normal customs procedures. Shannon became a model for other Duty Free facilities throughout the world. In the same year, the airport was finally completed.
In 1947 Aer Lingus decided to begin its own transatlantic service. Aer Lingus is the Flag carrier airline of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe Africa and North Five Lockheed Constellation aircraft were delivered with the inaugural flight due to take place on March 17, 1948. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However financial difficulties and the election of a new government in Ireland meant the plan had to be dropped. Over the next ten years even more new airlines and aircraft still continued to operate out of Shannon. In 1958 Aer Lingus finally began services to the United States using Lockheed Constellations. Aer Lingus is the Flag carrier airline of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe Africa and North The United States of America —commonly referred to as the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
The 1960s proved to be a tough decade for Shannon Airport. Transit traffic fell sharply as there was no longer the need for planes crossing the Atlantic to re-fuel at Shannon because they could now reach their European destinations non-stop with longer-range jets. Alitalia, Sabena, Lufthansa and KLM all ended their transit stops at Shannon. AlitaliaLinee Aeree Italiane SpA ( Italian for Alitalia - Italian Air Lines) ( is the Flag carrier Airline of Italy. SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001 with its base at Brussels National Airport. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines ( Dutch: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English translation However, while some airlines were ending their Shannon services Aer Lingus expanded its transatlantic routes with Boeing 720s and later Boeing 707 aircraft. Aer Lingus is the Flag carrier airline of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe Africa and North WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
In 1969 it was announced that Aer Rianta would be given responsibility for Shannon Airport as well as for Cork Airport. Dublin Airport Authority plc or Údaras Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath cpt in Irish (known until 1 October 2004 as Aer Rianta cpt Cork Airport, ( Irish: Aerfort Chorcaí is one of the three principal International airports in the Republic of Ireland (along with Passenger numbers at the airport reached 460,000 that same year and it was decided that a new enlarged terminal would have to be built. Introduction of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet also meant that better facilities were needed. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The first commercial operation of a Boeing 747 took place in April 1971 while the new terminal officially opened in May of that year. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.
In 1974 a major increase in fuel prices had a dramatic effect on transit traffic. Pan Am ended all its scheduled operations at Shannon. It did however continue charter services through the airport. Other airlines also pulled out of Shannon.
The 1980s saw a number of new airlines arrive at Shannon. Aeroflot of Russia used the airport as a fuel stop while Delta Air Lines began new services to Atlanta and New York. OJSC "AeroflotRussian Airlines" (ОАО «АэрофлотРоссийские авиалинии» () or Aeroflot (Аэрофлот as the airline is commonly Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Delta Air Lines Inc ( is a United States Airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous In 1986 a US Immigration pre-clearance facility was opened at Shannon, thus cutting down on the time spent queueing on arrival in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 1986 saw Pan Am return to Shannon operating scheduled services. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar)
Recent Years
In 2004, a separate airport authority for Shannon, the Shannon Airport Authority, was set up in shadow form. Under the State Airports Act 2004, this company must prepare a business plan for Shannon Airport before taking over operation of the airport (from Dublin Airport Authority) not earlier than May 2005. Dublin Airport Authority plc or Údaras Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath cpt in Irish (known until 1 October 2004 as Aer Rianta cpt
On 27 September 2006 an Airbus A380 landed at Shannon as part of its testing prior to commercial launch making Shannon one of the first airports in the world to have facilitated the aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
During 2006 passenger numbers increased to 3. 7 million, a record level for the airport and a 12% increase on the 2005 total of 3. 3 million. Freight carried increased by 5% in 2006, a reversal of the previous downward trend in freight throughput at the airport. Transatlantic traffic increased 10% during the year, a significant increase on the 2005 increase of 1%.
In August 2007, Aer Lingus announced it was to end its 4 daily direct flights from Shannon to London Heathrow Airport. The airline will use these Heathrow slots to serve its new hub at Belfast International Airport. The move promoted considerable controversy, as recorded in the Irish media. [3]
This will leave Ryanair as the only airline operating direct flights from the airport to London. Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK However, as of February 2008, CityJet provides a twice daily service to Paris-Charles de Gaulle, maintaining worldwide transfer connectivity from Shannon. CityJet Limited is an Airline based in Dublin, Ireland. It is an Air France subsidiary operating franchise services in Europe
In 2007 Delta Airlines also announced that they are to recommence the Atlanta service from the airport. Delta Air Lines Inc ( is a United States Airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
The "Shannon Stopover"
The United States - Ireland bilateral or Air Services Agreement requires that air carriers operating between the United States and Ireland must provide capacity into Dublin Airport and Shannon. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world A bilateral Air Transport Agreement (also sometimes called a bilateral Air Service Agreement) is an agreement which two nations sign to allow civil aviation between their territories The rule came from the days when aircraft did not have a long range and were forced to stop at Shannon. The rule used to require a stop in both directions but was relaxed to require one direct Shannon flight for each direct Dublin flight. Accordingly some services are operated US-Dublin-Shannon-US. A similar bilateral rule exists between Ireland and Canada. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page There are exceptions for some charter services.
The first Air Services Agreement with the US in 1945 only permitted flights to Shannon and only permitted Irish airlines to serve Boston, Chicago and New York Idlewild (now JFK). At the end of 1971 the US Civil Aeronautics Board announced that unless US planes were allowed to operate into Dublin Airport they proposed to ban Aer Lingus from landing in New York. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Governments have played an important part in shaping air transportation Aer Lingus is the Flag carrier airline of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe Africa and North New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous This provoked an instant reaction from the Shannon staff. Eventually an agreement was reached which allowed one US carrier to service Dublin Airport through Shannon. TWA was the designated airline. Trans World Airlines ( TWA) renamed TWA Airlines LLC in 2001 was a major U
In 1990, the U.S.-Ireland bilateral agreement was changed to allow Irish airlines to serve Los Angeles and additional US airlines to serve Dublin via Shannon. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The most recent amendment in 1993 allowed airlines to provide direct transatlantic services to Dublin.
The Shannon lobby were outraged at the loss of the Stopover Status; however, in reality little has changed. The September 11th terrorist attacks in New York severely threatened the future of Shannon Airport. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Aer Lingus and Delta Air Lines reduced their services while other airlines pulled out completely. Aer Lingus is the Flag carrier airline of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe Africa and North Delta Air Lines Inc ( is a United States Airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. However, since then a number of additional airlines have started new services, including US Airways and Air Canada. US Airways Inc is the fifth largest Airline in the United States. Air Canada () is Canada 's largest Airline and Flag carrier. The airline founded in 1937 has had its corporate headquarters in Montreal
A dispute with the European Commission is holding up any further renegotiation of the bilateral agreements, since in their consultation document on the "third package" for liberalisation of air transport the Commission proposes (at point 33) the removal of existing prohibitions on non-Irish EU airlines from operating transatlantic services in accordance with judgements of the European Court of Justice. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. This article refers to the European Union court not the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe The Court of Justice It is also believed the Commission requires the "Shannon stopover" to be fully removed rather than further relaxed, because of the Commission's desire (at point 34) to take over negotiations with non-EU countries as it does in other areas of trade, which would remove the stopover as a matter for the Irish Government to control directly.
Politicians, unions and business groups in the Shannon area believe the EU Commission would use its mandate to sacrifice the Shannon stop, fearing most existing services would relocate to Dublin if not required to serve Shannon. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The powerful Dublin Chamber of Commerce called for the end of the stopover in 2003. A chamber of commerce (also referred to in some circles as a board of trade) is a form of Business network. Aer Lingus, Ireland's sole scheduled transatlantic carrier as of 2005, is in favour of air service liberalisation, believing that the ability to serve more US markets would be more advantageous to its future than the current regime. Aer Lingus is the Flag carrier airline of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe Africa and North Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
On November 11, 2005 an agreement was reached between Norman Mineta, the United States Secretary of Transportation and Martin Cullen, the Irish Minister of Transport regarding a transitional deal beginning in November 2006 and ending in April 2008 which eliminates restriction on cargo services and for passenger services reduces the stopover requirement and increases the number of US ports Irish airlines can serve by three. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. born November 12, 1931) is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. Martin Cullen (Máirtín Ó Cuilinn born 2 November 1954 is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician The Minister for Transport (Aire Iompair is the senior minister at the Department of Transport in the Government of Ireland. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common At the end of this period, no restrictions will be placed on scheduled services between any airport in one country to any airport in the other.
In March 2007 the EU and USA announced that an agreement had been reached on an open skies aviation policy, which will come into effect from March 30th 2008. This will effectively lead to the complete abolition of the Shannon Stopover from this date. However, as part of the transitional deal agreed between Ireland and the United States on November 11th 2005, the restriction on cargo services is abolished and the restriction on passenger services reduces from a 1/1 basis to a 1/3 basis with immediate effect, and the number of US ports Irish airlines can serve increases by three. This situation will remain in place until March 30th 2008. So far, American Airlines and Air Canada have pulled out of Shannon as a result of the ending of the stopover. American Airlines flew from Boston (2005-2006) and Chicago (2006-2007). American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size Air Canada served Toronto. Air Canada () is Canada 's largest Airline and Flag carrier. The airline founded in 1937 has had its corporate headquarters in Montreal Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines have also reduced their operations at the airport with Continental re-routing one of the two daily flights to Newark to Dublin and Delta reducing its Atlanta flight to a seasonal basis. On 10th March 2008 Aer Lingus warned that, due to poor load factors on its winter transatlantic flights it may have no option but to reduce the services to Boston, Chicago and New York to summer only in the future.
Foreign military aircraft at Shannon
Shannon Airport also has a history of foreign military use. A large part of its business is military stopovers, currently almost all American; however the airport was also frequently used by the Soviet military until the 1990s. There were some official restrictions, such as no weaponry being allowed and uniformed foreign soldiers remaining out of public areas. However they were rarely enforced, and uniformed U. S. soldiers can be seen occasionally in the public areas of the airport. Shannon saw military transports throughout the Cold War and during both Gulf Wars. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Recently the airport has been the subject of protests, direct actions and High Court actions over such usage. Direct action is political action which happens outside normal political channels via indirect actions such as electing representatives.
In April 2003 the High Court noted in Horgan v Ireland that for Ireland to be a Neutral Power under international law, it must prevent "belligerents from making use of neutral territories and neutral resources for their military purposes". The High Court (An Ard-Chúirt of Ireland is a Court which deals at first instance with the most serious and important civil and criminal cases and also For other uses of Neutral and Neutrality see Neutral A neutral country takes no side in a War between other parties The Irish Government however expressly invited the United States to use Ireland's airports and airspace for its "long campaign against terrorism", waiving all previous restrictions regarding foreign military aircraft. The provisions of Bunreacht na hÉireann (Constitution of Ireland) which affirm Ireland's commitment to the rule of international law were stated by the government as being only "aspirational". The Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann came into force on 29 December 1937 after having been passed by a national plebiscite the previous July International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that bind together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards
A further High Court judicial review (Dubsky vs Ireland) relating to Shannon Airport and the U. Judicial review is the power of the courts to annul the acts of the executive and/or the legislative power where it finds them incompatible with a higher norm S. -led attack against Afghanistan was heard in February 2005. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, After much delay, Mrs. Justice Fidelma Macken (since appointed to the Supreme Court) re-scheduled judgement for December 13, 2005. The Supreme Court (Cúirt Uachtarach is the highest judicial authority in the Republic of Ireland. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She turned down the legal challenge. Though her written judgement is still not available, the judge did say this in court: "I have found that on the current materials before the court that the applicant has not satisfied me that the events occurring in Afghanistan constitute a war for purposes of Article 28. 3. 1. "
On 29th January 2003 an Irishwoman, Mary Kelly, took an axe to the nosecone and fuel lines of a US Navy jet. After her arrest and trial she was acquitted by a jury. However the Irish Director of Public Prosecutors sought a retrial in a higher court. A group of Catholic Worker activists to become known as the Pitstop Ploughshares were tried in March 2005 for damaging a United States Navy C-40 Clipper aircraft at the airport in February 2003 but the trial was stopped by Judge Frank MacDonnell on the sixth day for reasons the media were ordered not to disclose. The Catholic Worker Movement is a Catholic organization founded by the " Servant of God " Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933 The Pitstop Ploughshares are a group of five members of the Catholic Worker who made their way into Shannon Airport and damaged a US Navy C-40 transport March 2005: ← - January 2005 - February 2005 - March - April 2005 - May 2005 - June 2005 - July 2005 WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A second trial beginning in October 2005 was ended without a verdict on the tenth day due to links between the trial judge, Donagh MacDonagh, and President of the United States George W. Bush. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources See WikipediaNews collections and sources. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The third trial ended on July 25, 2006 with an acquittal for all five defendants on all charges.
Financial figures released in April 2005 show that the airport lost €2. 5m, whilst the transport of US troops made an income of €18m for the airport. In May 2005 the Minister for Transport revealed that the state pays the €10m annual cost to air-traffic control due to US military aircraft in Irish airspace [7], under the Eurocontrol agreement. European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation ( EUROCONTROL) is an International organisation, founded in 1963 whose primary objective is the development During 2005, over 330,000 US troops stopped over at Shannon en route to or from Afghanistan or Iraq, leading to concern [8] in Ireland about this apparent breach of its policy of neutrality. Irish neutrality has been a policy of the Irish Free State and its successor Ireland, since independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain
Rendition flights
On 6 December 2005, the BBC programme Newsnight alleged that Shannon was used on at least 33 occasions by United States Central Intelligence Agency flights, thought to be part of a US policy called extraordinary rendition, referring to the non-judicial transfers of prisoners to other jurisdictions, including those where interrogation routinely uses torture. For the CNN programme see NewsNight with Aaron Brown Newsnight is a British daily News analysis The United States of America —commonly referred to as the near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally The New York Times reported the number to be 33, though referring to "Ireland" rather than Shannon, while Amnesty International has alleged the number of flights to be 50, a figure they published in response to Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, who had pledged to investigate rendition if presented with evidence. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Ireland. Dermot Christopher Ahern (Diarmuid Críostóir Ó hEachthigheirn born 2 February 1955 is an Irish Politician and Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denied [9] that the US transfers prisoners knowing that they will be tortured. The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Condoleezza Rice (born November 14 1954 is the 66th United States Her statement (transcript) included the following:
The United States does not transport, and has not transported, detainees from one country to another for the purpose of interrogation using torture. The United States does not use the airspace or the airports of any country for the purpose of transporting a detainee to a country where he or she will be tortured. The United States has not transported anyone, and will not transport anyone, to a country when we believe he will be tortured. Where appropriate, the United States seeks assurances that transferred persons will not be tortured.
However, Rice refuses to give confirm or deny reports of secret detention facilities. A week earlier, Dr. Rice assured Foreign Minister Ahern that the airport had not been used for "untoward" purposes, or as a transit point for terror suspects.
Allegations of State Aid
The Irish Sunday Independent newspaper reported in October 2005 that Shannon Airport is the subject of an investigation by the European Commission into incentives given to Ryanair to operate a base at the airport. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Sunday Independent is a Broadsheet Sunday Newspaper published in the Republic of Ireland by Independent News and Media plc The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK Incentives provided by State owned airports such as Shannon are mandated by EU legislation to be reported to the Commission by the Irish Department of Transport. The Minister for Transport (Aire Iompair is the senior minister at the Department of Transport in the Government of Ireland. A similar case is ongoing in the European Courts regarding a deal between Ryanair and Brussels South Charleroi Airport in Wallonia (Belgium). Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA also called Charleroi Airport, is located north of Charleroi, 46km (28 Wallonia, or Wallonie, (Wallonie Wallonien Wallonië Waloneye is the Meridional part of Belgium belonging to the Romance linguistic field The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those
Facilities
The current airport terminal was opened in the year 1999 by the then Minister of Transport Mary O'Rourke. This facility has 40 check-in desks, 5 baggage belts, 16 boarding gates and 9 air-bridges. There are nearly 40 aircraft parking stands. The car-parks can hold over 5000 cars. As mentioned above, the airport expects to have full US Customs and Border Protection facilities by the end of 2008.
Ground Transportation
Shannon Airport is the end destination of the N19 national route, which connects to the N18 Limerick–Ennis–Galway route. Ireland, both north and south of the border, has an extensive network of roads Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Ennis ( is the County town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway Galway (Gaillimh is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland. A new dual-carriageway section of the N19 was finished in 2004, bypassing Shannon Town, and a new interchange and dual-carriageway north to Ennis were completed in 2007 on the N18. Shannon or Shannon Town ( An tSionna in Irish) named after the river near which it stands is a New town located in County Ennis ( is the County town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway
Regular bus services connect the airport to Limerick, Ennis and Galway. Ennis ( is the County town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway Like most airports in Ireland, Shannon currently has no rail connection. Recently, discussions took place regarding the possibility of a rail link to Shannon Airport. However, the Irish Government ruled it out due to the high cost which they estimated at €800million. [10]
Accidents and incidents
On 5 September 1954, KLM Flight 633 from Amsterdam to New York, which was using Shannon as a refueling stop, crashed just after take-off into a mudbank just next to the airport. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) KLM Flight 633 was a passenger flight from Amsterdam to New York City. 28 people on board died.
On 14 August, 1958, another KLM Flight also en route from Amsterdam to New York crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, after a refueling stop at Shannon. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures KLM Flight 607-E, also known as Hugo de Groot, registration PH-LKM was a Lockheed Super Constellation which crashed 180 kilometres west of Shannon
Various minor incidents have led to flights making emergency landings at Shannon, as it is usually the closest airport for flights from eastern North America to western Europe.
Airlines and destinations
Scheduled passenger airlines
- Air France
- operated by CityJet (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
- Aer Lingus (Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dublin, New York-JFK)
- Belavia (Minsk)
- Continental Airlines (Newark)
- Delta Air Lines (Atlanta [seasonal], New York-JFK)
- Ryanair (Alicante, Berlin-Schonefeld, Biarritz, Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels-Charleroi, Carcassonne, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Faro, Fuertuventura, Girona, Glasgow-Prestwick, Kaunas, Krakow, Leeds-Bradford, Liverpool, London-Gatwick, London-Luton, London-Stansted, Málaga, Manchester, Milan-Bergamo, Murcia, Nantes, Palma de Mallorca, Paris-Beauvais, Riga, Tenerife-South, Venice-Treviso, Weeze, Wrocław)
- US Airways (Philadelphia) [seasonal]
Charter passenger airlines
- Air Europa (Arrecife)
- Air Mediterranee (Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Paris CDG, Strasbourg, Toulouse)
- Air Transat (Toronto-Pearson) [seasonal]
- Dubrovnik Airline (Dubrovnik, Split)
- Futura Gael (Almeria)
- Futura International Airways (Arrecife, Las Palmas, Malaga, Reus, Palma de Mallorca)
- Iberworld (Arrecife, Bourgas, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Reus)
- Monarch Airlines (Faro)
- Onur Air (Bodrum, Izmir)
- Spanair (Palma)
- Swiss (Zurich)
Details correct as per 2008 Summer Schedule
Cargo airlines
- DHL (East Midlands)
- TNT (Cork, Dublin, Liege Bierset)
- UPS (Cologne/Bonn, Dublin) Operated by Star Air Europe
- Air Contractors Ireland (Dublin, Paris-Charles De Gaulle)
External links
References
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic