Pictured L-R Neal McMahon, COO Ryanair, Sean O’Brien, Cratloe Co Clare, Ryanair Engineering Apprentices, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD, Ray O’Driscoll, CEO The Shannon Airport Group, Enterprise Ireland CEO, Jenny Melia, Amy Madden, Sixmilebrdige Co Clare, Ryanair Engineering Apprentices and Eddie Wilson, CEO Ryanair also included are current Ryanair Engineering Apprentices. Photograph: Arthur Ellis.
RYANAIR’s plans for a new €50m four bay aircraft maintenance hangar for Shannon Airport have been stalled by the company’s plan to erect a two metre high berm for the storage of contaminated soils.
In placing the hangar application on hold, Clare County Council has written to the Ryanair applicant firm, Wonderlight Ltd to say that it has ‘serious concerns’ over the berm planned for a site south-east of the hangar.
The Council has told the Ryanair firm that its serious concerns arise from the proposed berm’s proximity to sensitive environmental receptors including, indirectly, the Shannon Estuary and the potential environmental effects arising from the construction and operational phases.
The Council also cite the potential impact on human health and the long-term effects of the berm which may sterilise development lands within the airport.
In the letter, the Council state that the proposed development of the aircraft hangar represents an appropriate form of development at this location in the context of the continued growth and development of Shannon Airport.
However, the Council has asked the Ryanair firm to submit a comprehensive justification for the proposed berm including an assessment of alternative soil management options and to demonstrate why the proposed approach represents the most appropriate solution.
The Council has asked Wonderlight to have regard in its response to environmental protection, human health, land use efficiency and the long term objectives of Shannon Airport.
In a planning report lodged on behalf of Wonderlight Ltd by EnviroPlan Consulting, it states that when undergoing site investigations, it was discovered that part of the site which was used as a fire training ground, contained contaminated soil primarily from fire fighting foam.
EnviroPlan Consulting state that it is proposed to remove this contaminated soil and use it to construct a berm in a designated area to the southeast of the proposed hangar.
The material, according to the planning report, “will be deposited in this area and capped with an engineered barrier system to ensure that it stays in place”.
The report states that “the berm will be fenced off and secured and it is estimated that the maximum height of the berm will be 2m”.
The new four-bay aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at Shannon Airport will be Ryanair’s largest aircraft maintenance facility in Ireland.
Ryanair currently operates a three-bay aircraft maintenance hangar at Shannon Airport, which has a workforce of over 200.
The airline said in July the new MRO hangar will form a key part of its ongoing investment in aircraft maintenance, operational resilience and engineering training across its network.
The Environ Consulting planning report states that “the need for this development is critical for the continued growth of operations at Shannon International Airport and will allow for the future expansion of the workforce and services being provided at the airport which will benefit the region as a whole”.
The new project will also include a new Ryanair Engineering Academy, which will see the creation of 80 new apprenticeship roles and support the training of over 400 additional aircraft mechanics between 2027 and 2031.
In July, Ryanair said, subject to planning approval, it expects construction to start in early 2027, with the new facility expected to enter operation in late 2028.
