Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 April 2016
853. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of troops of the United States of America who transited through Shannon Airport in County Clare in 2015; the number of permits to carry munitions of war through Ireland or through Irish airspace requested and issued in 2015; the countries that made these requests; and the airlines that requested the permits. [6874/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra858. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of US troops who transited through Shannon Airport in County Clare in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6977/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra859. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of permits requested and granted in 2015 for the carrying of munitions of war through Ireland or through Irish airspace; the countries that made these requests; and the airlines that requested the permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6978/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 853, 858 and 859 together.
Shannon Airport has informed my Department that the number of US troops that transited Shannon Airport in 2015 was 63,549.
The number of requests to carry munitions of war through Ireland or through Irish airspace made in 2015 was 869. The number of permits issued in 2015 was 812.
Permits are granted to airlines from a wide variety of countries, including Irish airlines, on both scheduled commercial flights and non-scheduled charter flights. The vast majority of the permits issued in 2015 were to US airlines on charter to the US defence forces.
Airlines from the following countries made requests and were issued with permits to transit Ireland or Irish airspace carrying munitions in 2015 - USA (Atlas Air, Delta Airlines, Omni Air, United Airlines, Air Transport International), Turkey (Turkish Airlines), Ireland (Aer Lingus), UK (Virgin Atlantic Airlines), Netherlands (TUI Airlines Nederland), Portugal (HiFly Airlines), Bulgaria (BH Airlines) and Switzerland (Swiss International Airlines).
