*Photograph: Eamon Ward
UP TO 200 new jobs are close to being secured in Shannon.
In what is a new deal between Ryanair and Shannon Group, a hangar that was previously occupied by Lufthansa is now set to come back into use and bring with it between 150 to 200 jobs in the areas of aircraft maintenance and repair.
Both parties are very close to signing a deal to transfer the use of the hangar. Prestwick Aircraft Maintenance, whose only client is Ryanair, is poised to open the facility. The Scottish jet maintenance firm currently employs about 500 people at Prestwick and a further 1,300 at locations elsewhere in Europe.
Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) was hopeful an injection in income would result for Shannon Airport. “Ryanair and Shannon Airport look set to strike a deal whereby Ryanair will establish an aircraft maintenance and repair hub in Shannon. This move could result in up to 200 new highly-skilled jobs and also provide a very welcome income for the airport,” he stated.
At the beginning of the month, Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) formally marked the integration of the operations of the former Lufthansa Technik facility in Shannon. The move saw AAG’s workforce increase by nearly 70%, with more than 300 workers joining AAG’s existing staff of 436 based in both Shannon and the UK.
AAG announced that it had acquired the Lufthansa Technik Shannon business from the company’s German parent Lufthansa Technik (AG) in October 2021 and saw it add a second hangar to its collection at Shannon Airport.
