A request to designate Shannon Airport as Ireland’s electric Airport is to be proposed before a sitting of Clare County Council next month.
On Monday, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) confirmed to The Clare Echo that he has already submitted a motion to the local authority for its July sitting with an approach that will assist Ireland’s climate action targets and also serve as a timely lift for Shannon Airport.
In his proposal, the Ennis representative has urged Clare County Council to seek the Government, its relevant Departments and Shannon Airport to plan for the “designation and development of Shannon Airport as Ireland’s Electric Airport using green electricity to power green aviation initially short haul and long haul in the future with battery improvement”.
Speaking on Monday, Cllr Flynn stressed, “we need to be looking for solutions rather than looking to the private sector”. As part of this, he believed the designation of Shannon as the country’s electric airport would be beneficial.
Last week, aircraft leasing company Avolon and Vertical Aerospace have announced a “ground-breaking” $2 billion order for up to 500 electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The agreement will introduce the ultra-short-haul aircraft category to commercial aviation, which Ennis native and Avolon CEO Domhnall Slattery said was a game changing development that will revolutionise air travel with zero emissions aircraft.
Both companies will collaborate throughout the development, road map to certification and subsequent commercial roll-out of the VA-X4 aircraft. The VA-X4 is a piloted, zero emissions electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicle which will be capable of travelling over 200 miles an hour, with a range of over 100 miles and capacity for four passengers and a pilot.
