Landing Rights

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 March 2014

Tuesday, 4 March 2014

Questions (520)

Seán Crowe

Question:

520. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of requests his Department has received from civilian aircraft carrying munitions to land at Shannon Airport or pass through Irish airspace in 2013; the number of permits issued for both the use of Irish airspace and Shannon Airport to land; the reasons for rejecting the requests for which permits were not granted; and the breakdown of countries from which the requests were made and the permits were granted. [10811/14]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

The Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order, 1973 prohibits the carriage of munitions of war by civilian aircraft without a permit granted by the Minister under Section 5 of the Order.  My Department consults the following organisations on all applications: the Irish Aviation Authority on air safety, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade about foreign policy, and the Department of Justice. Where objections are raised permits are refused, usually based on the nature of the cargo.

Copied below is a table outlining the statistics for 2013.

-	No.
Applications received	714
Cancelled, Duplicated or Withdrawn	7
Applications Refused	14
Applications Granted	693
Flights landing in Ireland	357
Overflights	336

The vast majority of requests came from USA airlines. Applications also came from airlines from the UK, Ukraine, Turkey and Portugal. The vast majority of those flights landing in Ireland, landed at Shannon.