Shannon Airport (Ireland: Aerfort na Sionna ) (IATA: SNN , ICAO: < b> EINN ) is one of Ireland's three main airports, along with Dublin and Cork. By 2017, 1.751 million passengers pass through the airport, making it the busiest third airport in the country after Dublin and Cork. Shannon Airport is located in Shannon, County Clare, and mainly serves Limerick, Ennis, Galway and south-west Ireland. The longest runway in Ireland, at 3,199 meters (10,495 ft), is located in Shannon, which is the designated landing site for the Space Shuttle.
Video Shannon Airport
History
Establishment, 1936-1945
In the late 1930s, transatlantic air traffic was dominated by airplanes, and the terminal was located in Foynes on the south side of Shannon Estuary. However, it is realized that changing technology will require a permanent foundation and airport.
In 1936, the Government of Ireland confirmed that it would develop a 3.1 square kilometer (33,000,000 sq ft) site in Rineanna for the country's first transatlantic airport. The land on which the airport was to be built was wet, and on 8 October 1936 the work began to dry the soil. In 1942 a usable airport was established and named Shannon Airport. In 1945 the foundation at Shannon was extended to allow transatlantic flights to land.
When World War II ended, the airport was ready for use by many new postwar war commercial airlines in Europe and North America. On September 16, 1945 the first transatlantic proof flight, Pan Am DC-4, landed at Shannon from New York City. On October 24, 1945, the first scheduled commercial flight, Overseas Airlines DC-4 America, passed through Shannon Airport.
1960s - 1990s
The accident involving President Airlines on September 10, 1961 resulted in the loss of 83 lives. The Douglas DC-6 plane crashed into the Shannon River as it left Shannon Airport for Chicago.
The number of international operators increased sharply in the following years because Shannon became famous as a gateway between Europe and America; the limited range of airplanes requires that refueling ceases on many trips. Shannon became the most convenient stop point before and after the journey across the Atlantic. In addition, during the Cold War, many transatlantic flights from the Soviet Union stopped here to refuel, because Shannon (and now, though no longer important in this sense) the westernmost non-NATO airport on the Atlantic side of Europe.
On September 30, 1994, Shannon was the place of diplomatic incidence "circling over Shannon" involving Boris Yeltsin.
2000s
Ryanair increased the service and number of passengers at the airport until 2008. In 2007, Shannon transported 3.2 million passengers. However, after a dispute with the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) in 2008, Ryanair announced that the number of aircraft based would be reduced from four to one and 150 jobs would be lost. The service was cut by 75% and 32 Ryanair routes from the airport were reduced to eight.
CityJet launched the twice-daily route to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2008 when Aer Lingus closed its London Heathrow flight. The company is based on Avro RJ85 in Shannon. More services are being considered, including routes to London City Airport; but CityJet withdrew from Shannon in October 2009 after Aer Lingus returned his flight at Heathrow.
Independent operation, 2012 -
In December 2012, it was announced that Shannon Airport would be separated from the Dublin Airport Authority, which still has Dublin and Cork airports. On December 31, 2012 at 11:59 pm, Shannon Airport became a publicly owned commercial airport and is now operated and run by Shannon Airport Authority plc.
In March 2013, the new company appointed Neil Pakey as its first CEO. Traffic figures for June 2013 report an 8% increase in the previous year, the first time the increase in traffic has been recorded in three years. On March 21, 2013, Ryanair announced a new two-weekly route to Alicante, Spain to begin on June 5 for the summer. It brings Shannon's total to 33 seasonal scheduled summer routes. In August 2013 Aer Lingus announces a weekly 1x service to Lanzarote every Saturday during the winter using the A320. In October 2013, United Airlines insists it will increase its capacity by 88% on its Shannon-Chicago route for 2014. By the end of 2013, Aer Lingus announced two new routes to MÃÆ'¡laga, Spain (two weekly) and to Bristol, England ( one daily). Ryanair also announced 8 new routes from Shannon to the European continent. The new route starts from early April 2014, and the second Boeing 737-800 is based in Shannon to accommodate 300,000 additional passengers per year to be brought. The announced destinations are Berlin Schonefeld, Beauvais, Memmingen, Warsaw Modlin, KrakÃÆ'³w, Nice, Faro, and Fuerteventura.
On July 4, 2014, "Bank of Ireland Runway Night Run" featured 1,200 people who ran along the Shannon runway to raise money for charity.
By the end of 2014, Aer Lingus Regional Stobart Air operators say they will close their Shannon base by early 2015. They return in June 2015 to operate 6 weekly Birmingham service flights followed by 6 weekly Edinburgh service flights. At the end of 2015, they announced a new CEO for Shannon, Matthew Thomas. Ryanair announced that it would end the Paris and Memmingen routes by the end of 2016, and also reduce the London and London Stansted routes. Ryanair is targeting 720,000 passengers in the Summer of 2017 even though they are almost reaching 800,000 in the Summer of 2016. In October 2016, SAS announced a new route to Stockholm from 1 August 2017 to 7 October 2017. Shortly after, Lufthansa announced a weekly service to Frankfurt running from April to October in 2017. In September 2017 Ryanair announces the new Route to Reus. It will run through the summer of 2018 2x weekly operations (Tuesday and Saturday) replacing the route to Berlin. On the same day Air Canada announced a new 4x weekly service to Toronto with the Boeing 737 MAX. In February 2018, Ryanair announced it would resume flights to Bristol and Liverpool from May 2018.
Maps Shannon Airport
Transatlantic services to the US
In 1969, it was announced that a new government agency, Aer Rianta (now the Dublin Airport Authority), would be given responsibility for Shannon Airport. The number of passengers at the airport reached 460,000 that year. With the increase in passengers and the introduction of the Boeing 747, it was decided that an enlarged new terminal was required. The first commercial operation of the 747 took place in April 1971, while the new terminal was officially opened in May of that year. In 1974, a large increase in fuel prices had a dramatic effect on transit traffic.
During the 1990s, the airport began to struggle. The bilateral agreement with the United States was renegotiated, so fewer aircraft were required to stop at Shannon (see Shannon Stopover below). However, 1996 saw the start of Continental Airlines flying between Dublin, Shannon and Newark, New Jersey.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Aeroflot began to suffer, which was a huge loss for the airport. Aeroflot has brought 250,000 passengers per year through Shannon.
Shannon began to recover in the late 1990s with Ireland's economic success, the situation improving in Northern Ireland and the influx of American tourists. By the end of the decade, Shannon had 2.2 million passengers and in 2000, a new £ 40 million terminal extension had been opened.
Shannon continued to grow during the Celtic Tiger years with many services operated to the US and Canada.
Shannon stops
The first Air Service Agreement with the United States in 1945 allowed only flights to Shannon and only allowed the Irish airline to serve Boston, Chicago, and New York. In 1971, the US Civil Aviation Council announced that unless US aircraft were allowed to operate into Dublin Airport they proposed to ban Aer Lingus from landing in New York. Finally an agreement was reached that allowed a US airline, TWA, to serve the Dublin Airport via Shannon.
In 1990, the US-Ireland bilateral agreement was changed to allow Irish airlines to serve Los Angeles and additional US airlines to serve Dublin via Shannon. An amendment in 1993 allowed airlines to provide direct transatlantic services to Dublin, but 50% of transatlantic flights had to come or stop at Shannon.
In 2005, an agreement was reached on the transition period. Beginning in November 2006 and ending in April 2008, the agreement gradually eliminated restrictions on cargo services. For passenger services, reduce transit requirements and allow Irish airlines to serve three additional US destinations. Further, it is agreed that at the end of this period, no restrictions will be placed on scheduled services between any airport in one country with any airport at the other.
In 2007, the EU and US announced that an agreement had been reached on an open sky flight policy. This agreement entered into force since March 30, 2008. This effectively leads to the complete elimination of Shannon Stopover, although this will happen under the 2005 agreement as well.
Free assignment
In 1947, the "Customs Free Airport Act" set Shannon as the first free airport assignment in the world, a move promoted by Brendan O'Regan; although "duty-free" shopping is no longer valid for flights in the EU, EU-bound passengers can still purchase goods, but must pay a normal tax. Shannon became a model for other duty-free facilities around the world. For most items, passengers can purchase the same item regardless of their destination: the only difference will be made in filling VAT upon check-out. The exception to this is tobacco products, since all tobacco products sold in Ireland must have a customs stamp, while this does not apply to tobacco-free "real" tobacco. Since tobacco prices in Ireland are among the highest in the world, there is little or no demand for tobacco at Irish airports for EU flights.
Military stopover issues
Shannon Airport has a history of foreign military use. Most of his business in recent years is a military stopover, nowadays almost all Americans; However, the airport was also frequently used by the Soviet military until the 1990s, as Ireland, had a traditional military neutrality policy, not a NATO member. There are some restrictions, such as unarmed, carrying no weapons, ammunition, or explosives, and that the intended flight is not part of any military exercise or operation. Shannon saw military transport during the Cold War and during the first Gulf War.
In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the Irish government offered the use of Shannon to the US government. When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, the government still allowed the US armed forces to use the airport. This caused much controversy and became the subject of protests and challenges brought to the High Court. In January 2003, a woman took an ax to a nose cone and a US 737 BBJ aircraft, powered by M. Callaway; However, the trial ended with his release. In February 2003, a group known as Pitstop Pirates damaged the US C-40 Clipper aircraft at the airport. They were tried three separate times and eventually also released.
As of November 2008, some 1.2 million troops have passed through Shannon since the beginning of the Iraq War. It has generated significant revenue for the airport and has offset the loss of flights from Shannon's stopover and the general decline in the global aviation industry.
In 2012-2013, military aviation contracts are held by Omni Air International, which uses Boeing 767 and 777 aircraft, Sun Country Airlines, which uses 737-800 aircraft, and North American Airlines, which uses Boeing 757.
In 2014, only transit flights operated by Omni Air International, with an average of 1-2 flights per day.
In January 2014, the 79-year-old writer and anti-war activist Margaretta D'Arcy was sentenced to three months in jail for Shannon Airport's perimeter fence scale in October 2012 in protest at the use of airports by the US military. Former Sinn FÃÆ'Â © in leader Gerry Adams and Independent TD Clare Daly called for his release.
Alleged flight allegations
On December 6, 2005, the BBC program Newsnight alleged that Shannon was used at least 33 times by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which was considered part of a US policy called extraordinary rendition. The New York Times reported the number to 33, though referring to "Ireland" rather than Shannon, while Amnesty International accused the number of flights to 50. Casement Aerodrome has seen similar claims. The United States and Ireland have denied these allegations.
Facilities
Overview
The airport terminal is currently open on March 27, 2000 by Transport Minister Mary O'Rourke. The facility has 40 check-in tables, 5 carousel luggage and 14 boarding gates (including 6 airbridges). There are almost 20 aircraft parking booths. The parking lot can accommodate 4,200 cars.
Most parts of the airport's land side have been renovated under the brand new 'Shannon Airport'. A renovation and separation project of passengers in air areas is completed in summer 2010.
Aer Rianta International, a subsidiary of the Dublin Airport Authority, has its headquarters in the Shannon Airport area. When Eirjet is there, its headquarters are located on the land of Shannon Airport.
AS. Pre-clearance of Customs and Border Protection
In 1986 the US border preclearance facility opened at Shannon, eliminating the need to go through immigration on arrival in the United States. In November 2008, it was announced that customs and agricultural inspections would be added, making Shannon the first airport in Europe to offer this service, and to allow passengers to arrive on a "domestic" basis. In order for these facilities have a two-storey extension, 7,000 square meters to the main terminal building built. This facility opened on the morning of August 5, 2009.
Starting September 2016, Shannon Airport is also the first and only airport in Europe to offer Customs and Border Protection US to private planes.
- British Airways flights to New York City
British Airways operates daily business class flights from London City Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York with a stopover in Shannon. This allows them to take off from the short runway City Airport, located in the London Docklands area and stop for fuel at Shannon.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
The following airlines operate scheduled and regular charter flights to and from Shannon:
Cargo
Statistics
Passenger number
Busiest route
Ground Transport
Road
Shannon Airport is the final destination of the N19 national route, which connects to the Limerick-Ennis-Galway N18/M18 route. It is also the western end of the E20 European road. The two-lane traffic section of the N19 was completed in 2004, passing through Shannon town, and a new intersection and two traffic lanes to the north to Ennis completed in 2007 at N18 (M18). It is about 25 kilometers (16 miles) west of Limerick and about 85 kilometers (53 mi) from Galway to the south. Dublin is about 223 kilometers (139 miles) and Cork is about 125 kilometers (78 mi).
Bus
Bus Service ÃÆ' â € ° ireann from/to the airport:
- Route 51: Galway - Cork
- Route X51: Galway - Limerick
- Route 343: Limerick - Shannon - Ennis
Car rental
Car rental is available in the entrance hall of the terminal building, with five car rental companies operating at the airport. Private rental coaches and buses are available from many operators such as Eirebus; this must be booked in advance and can transport passengers to any destination throughout Ireland.
Car park
Shannon Airport offers short-term and long-term parking within the airport with more than 5,000 available space. All parking lots operate 24 hours and are routinely patrolled by the Airport Police.
Rails links
Over the years, the train connection to the airport (as a driver of the nearby Limerick-Ennis line) has been proposed, but nothing has materialized. The nearest main station (Ennis train station and Limerick train station) requires a bus or taxi to connect. Sixmilebridge is the closest station to the airport. * Official Site of Ireland Rail-train schedule, booking and operation
Accidents and incidents
Due to Shannon's location, he received a large number of emergency dismissals.
- July 16, 1943 - Great Britain's De Havilland DH91 Fortuna fell from the threshold of Runway 14. No injuries.
- June 18, 1946 - Aer Lingus Douglas DC-3, Charlie Alpha , on domestic flights from Rineanna to Dublin fell shortly after take-off with only minor injuries reported.
- December 28, 1946 - TWA Lockheed Constellation Flight 6963 crashed while trying to land at the airport.
- April 15, 1948 - Pan Am Flight 1-10, a Lockheed Constellation crashed trying to land at the airport.
- September 5, 1954 - Lockheed Super Constellation KLM Flight 633 from Amsterdam to New York City, using Shannon as a refueling spot, crashed just after taking off in the mud near the airport. 28 people in it were killed.
- July 15, 1956 - Convair of Swissair CV-440-11 falls as it approaches the airport due to pilot error. The aircraft was in flight delivery from San Diego, California to ZÃÆ'¼rich through New York, Gander and Shannon. The crash killed four crew members.
- August 14, 1958 - Lockheed Super Constellation KLM Flight 607-E from Amsterdam to New York crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after a fuel stop at Shannon, killing 99 passengers and crew.
- February 26, 1960 - Alitalia Douglas DC-7C crashed after take-off from airport, killing 34 people from 52 passengers and crew.
- September 10, 1961 - President Airlines Douglas DC-6 crashed into the Shannon River after taking off from the airport on a flight to Canada. The disaster killed all 83 passengers and crew, one of the worst air disasters in Irish history.
- September 30, 1977 - Interconair Bristol 175 Britannia 253 stormed the airport runway after a severe thrill on the approach. The left wing stopped and caught fire but none of the six crew were injured in the accident.
- June 20, 1979 - American Airlines Flight 293 landed in Shannon after being hijacked.
Environmental issues
Since Shannon Airport has been built adjacent to Shannon Estuary, it may have problems with rising sea levels and high waters in Shannon. The government is drawing up plans to protect airports and cities.
References
External links
Media related to Shannon Airport on Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Current weather for EINN at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for SNN on Flight Security Network
- Recent operation report for EINN from Aireport
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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