Vol. 571 No. 1
406 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the circumstances in which an Israeli aircraft made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport on the weekend of 28 and 29 June 2003; the nature of its cargo; and if his Department was consulted as to the reason for its protection by the secret service of a foreign country. [19600/03]
I am advised that the aircraft in question was a Boeing 707 travelling from Ottawa, Canada to Ben Gurion Airport, Israel, and that travel through Irish airspace did not feature in its original flight plan. At 8.25 a.m. on Sunday, 29 June 2003, it was reported to the duty officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs that the aircraft was experiencing serious engine difficulty and that a request to land in Shannon had been received by the airport authorities. Having regard to the emergency circumstances of the request, and having also been advised that the aircraft was not carrying dangerous cargo and was not engaged in a military exercise, permission for the landing was granted. My Department has no knowledge of the aspect referred to in the final part of the Deputy's question.
