Shannon Airport Ireland.

The recent trip to Shannon was a reminder of the importance of this most westerly airport in Europe in the development of transatlantic aviation and its importance as a catalyst to development in the Mid-West region of Ireland. The airport is enjoying something of a boom with new transatlantic operators and Ryanair serving 30 destinations from its Shannon base. The townland of Rineanna, Co Clare had a good reputation back in the early 1930’s as a spot for wild duck and geese shooting along the north side of the Shannon Estuary. The same muddy flat land near the sea which gave the area its ideal hunting qualities also presented the authorities with the large flat terrain which was perfect for aviation.

Transatlantic aviation in the Shannon Estuary first commenced, however, with a seaplane base at Foynes. In October 1935 the Irish Government took a decision to initiate a survey "to find suitable bases for the operation of seaplanes and landplanes on a transatlantic service". The Department of Defence which provided technical advice on aviation to the Civil Aviation Section of the Department of Industry was given the task.



On 21 November 1935 a survey party set out for the West of Ireland and surveyed sites as far north as Athlone and south to Askeaton. Among the sites for a seaplane base which were considered were: the Shannon just below Limerick, Lough Derg, Lough Corrib, Tralee Bay, Kenmare Bay, Lough Ree and Valentia. But it was Foynes, near the mouth of the Fergus River which was finally selected. Its good sheltered anchorage and its proximity to long open stretches of water convinced the surveyors Foynes was the best choice. The site was initially surveyed in 1933 by Colonel Charles Lindbergh and his wife Ann, who landed in Galway Bay flying his Lockheed Sirius. On 21 November 1935 a survey party set out for the West of Ireland and surveyed sites as far north as Athlone and south to Askeaton.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/08/foynes-flying-boat-museum.html

Thoughout World War II would contribute much to aviation, it delayed the development of the new Shannon Airport. During the War, Imperial Airways, the forerunner of B.O.A.C. and later British Airways, operated flights into Shannon from Bristol, to coincide with the flying boats operating to and from Foynes.

By the mid-forties, use of flying boats to carry commercial flights was dying out and by 1946 the airboat facility at Foynes was closed. On 24 October the first scheduled commercial flight flew into Shannon, as an American Overseas Airlines (AOA) DC4 landed from the United States. In 1945 Shannon also began receiving scheduled aircraft from Trans World Airways (TWA) and Pan American Airways (Pan AM0. The location was primarily influenced by nearby Foynes, which served sea-planes. The site was a marsh, but drainage was setup. It is in a prime location for aircraft travelling across the ocean.


Departures

The number of international carriers using Shannon rose sharply in the succeeding years as the airport became well-known for providing the gateway between Europe and the Americas. Limitations of the operating range of aircraft at the time (DC4, DC6, Lockheed 749) necessitated the interruptions of journeys for refueling. Shannon became the most convenient and obvious point before and after the flight across the Atlantic and most of the airport’s income derived from providing fuel, food and accommodation for these aircraft and their passengers.

Shannon was responsible for two important developments in aviation history, Duty Free sales and tax Free Zones. In 1951 the first Airport Duty Free Liquor Shop was opened. It started as a ship’s store where airline stewards purchased supplies for re-sale to passengers when the aircraft became airborne. The same applied to cigarettes and tobacco which began as supplies for crew only. Later, passengers were allowed to make direct purchases at tax free prices on a restricted basis and soon Shannon became, once again, famous for having the only airport duty free shop in the world. In the beginning, Shannon “Duty Free” applied only to liquor and tobacco, but it rapidly developed into an impressively large number of tax – free departments, which is how it remains today.



In 1947 the Irish Government passed the Customs Free Airport Act by which transit and embarking passengers, goods and aircraft were exempt from normal customs procedures. This established Shannon as an International Industrial and Distribution Centre and stimulated further traffic growth. The special status and the connections afforded by Shannon Airport the county attracted many industries to the Shannon Special Zone who when they arrived appreciated the unspoilt natural surroundings and the good communication links and facilities. The Mid-West also became a major centre of tourism spurred on by Shannon Airport and the development of attractions such as Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Cliffs of Moher, King John’s Castle Limerick and thatched Irish holiday villages. The airport also stimulated Shannon Town, a unique new Town experiment in Ireland which attracted many U.K., South African, American and Canadian residents over the years. Shannon Free Zone is a 243 hectare International Business Park adjacent to Shannon International Airport. Since its establishment in 1959, over 110 overseas companies have located there. Shannon Free Zone is Ireland's largest cluster of North American investments and has a successful track record as a location for international companies wishing to Invest in Europe.



Several terminal improvements have been commissioned throughout the years, most recent being in the year 2000. A new US Border clearance and Customs post is be constructed soon. There are two runways- 06/24 and 13/31. The latter is the main runway, which is 3199m x 45m. The other runway, 13/31 is now closed permanently (It is on the right hand side driving into airport). The length of the runway makes it ideal for handling aircraft of any size - the worlds largest aircraft have visited the airport (Antonov 225 and Airbus A380). Indeed it is the only Irish airport capable of handling the Airbus A380. It is also a NASA shuttle emergency landing site. The airport is located in Shannon town, on a site of 2,000 acres. It is approx 24km North of Limerick City, and 22km South of Ennis.


Apron from viewing gallery

Throughout the 1950’s, aircraft on the North Atlantic were still piston engined. In 1959, however, long range jet aircraft such as the Boeing 720 and Boeing 707 and the DC8 began operating on the route. To ensure that Shannon facilities would serve these new planes well, a new runway was commissioned in 1961 which would have a length of 10,000 feet. However the advent of long range jets meant that Shannon was no longer needed as a refueling stop – as El Al’s advert of the time put it “London-New York direct, No Goose, No Gander!” The airport’s response was to survive by developing cargo, training and maintenance activities. It even did a deal with the Soviet airline Aeroflot to ship its own fuel in and using Shannon as a refueling stop, thereby avoiding using hard currency to pay for fuel. It has also developed Charter business, for instance all American troops heading for Irag and Afghanistan transit through the airport.


TWA Super Connie

There are several handling agents and FBO's at the airport- including Servisair and Signature flight support. CHC Ireland bases a search and rescue Sikorsky helicopter at the airport. The airport is an excellent diversion airport. Aircraft that may encounter medical, technical or indeed security emergencies often divert to Shannon due to its facilities and skilled and professional staff. For the same reason and because of the security its position affords it is often used for VIP flights.These led to one of the more amusing episodes in shannon's history. In July 1994 Russian President, Boris Yeltsin failed to get off the presidential plane in Ireland for a meeting the Irish premier Albert Reynolds. Legend has it that plane had previously circled six times over the airport in the hope that he might sober up before the plane had to land to refuel. The Irish Times cartoonist celebrated this epic state occasion with a cartoon showing an empty bottle of Stoli trundling down the steps. The phrase "circling over Shannon" has since passed into Irish drinking slang where there are acknowledged to be three degrees of drunkenness: Drunk, very drunk and, worse of all, Circling Shannon.



Boris Yeltsin not visiting Shannon!

Let's Party!

In 2006, approx 3.6 Million passengers passed through the airport, making it the second busiest in Ireland. 46,721 aircraft movements were recorded, making it the third busiest airport by movements. Around 50,000 tonnes of cargo pass thru the dedicated facility - Air France Cargo, DHL, UPS (Operated by Maersk), TNT and Fedex all operate to the airport, feeding to major cargo hubs. Shannon Airport is currently part of Dublin Airport Authority plc. The DAA is an airport management company with over 3,600 employees and a turnover in excess of €590 million. Headquartered at Dublin Airport, the DAA's principal activities include airport management, operation and development, domestic and international airport retail management and airport investment. The company's domestic operations include the running of Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.


Planeside View

However from what I saw on the recent trip the airport badly needs better and more focused management and a redesign of the interior and better passenger facilities as it is a drab impersonation of its former glory – indeed the interior is alarmingly 70’s retro and the facilities have not kept up. In the main terminal there is little choice in catering outlets with the main attraction being the morose “Estuary Restaurant” whose main design feature is lines of tray clearing trolleys and whose signature dish is (an expensive) “Full Irish Breakfast” as, no doubt, it has been for the past 40 years. The retail outlets are not great but as I found out infinitely better than the poor offering airside.

To get airside you are obliged to go through a chaotic security area which is cramped and badly laid out with no proper segregation with passengers being searched, interviewed and waiting to collect their belongings all in the same line. Once you get airside it is drab looking with seating dirty & worn and very little to occupy you. The whole place needs redesign and redecoration and could do with more competition for refreshment outlets but it scores with free WFI internet access and an inside viewing area. However there is not much to look at outside as it is not a busy place for aircraft movements. However going up to the viewing gallery is not easy as (in a reflection of the lack of attention to detail and proactive management throughout the airport) one lift was out of order and the other had a red light indicating wrongly that the gallery was closed. The viewing gallery is a huge empty space with a row of seats at one end and is a huge waste. Shannon has a great story to tell but no where is it told properly – this empty space is crying out for a properly themed professional exhibition on Shannon’s role in aviation history.



The toilets throughout the airport are grubby, smelly and in need of a heavy clean although a complete refit to modern standards would serve them better. Also complete sections seem to be closed for the convenience of cleaning staff. Escalators and lifts appear to be out of order with no explanatory signs and it follows no sense of urgency about the inconvenience to passengers.



However the biggest disappointment was in the Duty Free Shop where I had to pinch myself to remember that this was where the concept was invented and where the Shannon Sales and Catering Organisation ran the Shannon Mail Order Company, Castles Banquets and the Shannon College of Hotel Management and set up Duty Free Shops in other countries. Reflecting the rest of the airport the display is chaotic, grubby and disorganized, a reminder of how much retailing has moved on elsewhere. It took me ten minutes to pay for 3 (non duty free items) at a cash register which was filthy and dust covered. I then wanted to buy a paper and the total selection at this “International” airport was the Irish Times and the Examiner, there wasn’t even a selection of Irish let alone international papers. I didn’t buy in the end as there was a queue of 14 people and one pay point.

I believe Shannon Airport has no idea how far removed its current customer offering is from the Best in Class. It is shabby, old fashioned and a poor customer offering – even more so when contrasted with its history of innovation and its reputation for customer service established under the late Brendan O’Regan who died not long ago. It needs a new start with being run independently, with new investment and I would suggest new management because it has the wrong type of staff in the wrong places. If you want to see a successful airport with quality design and facilities which acts as a superb showcase for its country look no further than Malta’s Luqa airport which is the best I’ve seen in Europe. Shannon has a great history but that is not enough for it now needs to capture the future and once again set the pace and standard. I hope it will because the region and Ireland deserve no less.


Shannon Town

This Map is copyright and is used with permission. It is from the superb Shannon Town Centre Map by www.truenorthmapping.com which incorporates a great deal of local history including the site of the 15 plane crashes over the years around the airport. The company has just produced another excellent map of Ennis & Clarecastle and has a Burren map coming out this summer.

A good source of factual information is the official town site;

www.shannon.ie

And the airport site;

www.shannonairport.com

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