LONDON – Shannon Airport welcomes a new heavy maintenance facility, a first of its kind. The opening is expected to support 200 jobs for the Mid-West Region.
On 18th May Ryanair inaugurated the first-ever aircraft heavy maintenance facility at Ireland’s second busiest airport, Shannon Airport. The project is slated at €10 million and importantly, creates 200 highly skilled jobs, such as licensed engineers, mechanics, and support roles.
The 10 million high-tech facilities are equipped with 3 empty bays leased from Shannon Group at 5,220,m2, dedicated to supporting Ryanair’s gigantic 737 fleets. The fleet is expected to grow to 600 aircraft by 2026.
Ryanair Director of Operations, Neal McMahon, said: “We are delighted to announce the opening of our new aircraft maintenance facility at Shannon Airport – our first heavy maintenance facility in the country.”
“This facility will create 200 high-skill jobs, demonstrating Ryanair’s continued growth & commitment to Ireland. Ryanair creates opportunities for highly skilled engineering jobs, with our industry-leading rosters and the youngest fleet in Europe.”
“Shannon is an ideal location with opportunities to attract, train and employ local talent to support this new facility.”
“This state-of-the-art 3-bay facility represents a significant €10 million investment and will support the maintenance of Ryanair’s fleet as it grows to 600 aircraft by 2026.”
Shannon Group CEO, Mary Considine, said:
“Ryanair’s investment at Shannon is a vote of confidence by them in the future of the airport. Having Ryanair at Hangar 5, one of ten fully occupied hangars on our Shannon Campus, is another significant boost for the region, creating high-quality jobs for local aviation specialists.”
“The resulting jobs and investment are also consistent with our strategic plan to increase economic growth and retain skills and talent in the region.”
“We have a close relationship with Ryanair, with Shannon Airport now having more destinations served by Ryanair than in 2019.”
Since 1986 Ryanair has been operating from Shannon Airport. In 2005, the low-cost giant opened a base at the airport and ferried over 17 million travelers to and from the airport since opening.
The investment is good news for the Irish economy, especially in the midwest region. The investment drives the country to a better position for a post-covid-19 recovery.
Ryanair’s move is seen as significant as it is the largest Irish carrier to date, triumphing the iconic green flag carrier; Aer Lingus. Does the investment imply that Ryanair is stronger than the country’s flag carrier which may carry lots of symbolic meaning towards the Irish aviation industry; a national embarrassment? Shannon Airport in the 70s carried significance for Aer Lingus, as it was the main connective point between Dublin and North America.
Nevertheless, the move from Ryanair is considered a blessing to the country and the aviation industry.
