Ryanair warns Shannon investment could move to Poland

According to rte.ie, a planned €50m investment at Shannon Airport along with 300 jobs could be shifted to Poland if the project fails to secure planning permission. The carrier is seeking to construct a new Engineering Academy and four-bay aircraft maintenance hangar at Shannon in Co Clare to grow its current footprint at the airport.

Clare County Council Halts €50M Hangar Over Contaminated Soil Berm

Clare County Council has put the planning application on hold over concerns about a proposed berm for storing contaminated soil on the site. The council also cited potential environmental effects during construction and operational phases, as well as impacts on human health and the long-term risk of sterilizing development lands within the airport.

The report noted that this soil would be removed, used to construct a two-meter-high berm southeast of the proposed hangar, and capped with an engineered barrier system while being fenced off and secured.

The council has asked Wonderlight Ltd to submit a comprehensive justification for the berm, including an assessment of alternative soil management options. This request pushes back the planning decision by at least six months.

Fleet Growth Pressures and the Threat to Relocate to Poland

Ryanair maintains that construction must begin early next year to satisfy the maintenance needs of its expanding fleet. The airline is scheduled to receive the first of its 300 new Boeing MAX-10 aircraft in early 2027, requiring additional maintenance capacity by 2028, as detailed by Clare FM. Ryanair Chief Operating Officer Neal McMahon stated that the company is ready to invest €50m and create 300 new high-skilled jobs, but will not accept planning delays or bureaucracy.

“This is a major opportunity for Shannon and the wider region, building on our existing engineering operation and supporting the next generation of aircraft mechanics,”

Neal McMahon, Ryanair Chief Operating Officer

Mr. McMahon warned that the airline will transfer the jobs and investment to Poland if the Shannon project fails to be delivered on schedule.

“We cannot afford planning delays or endless bureaucracy. If Shannon cannot deliver this project on time, then we will move the hangar and 300 jobs to Poland. Construction of the Shannon facility must commence in early 2027.”

Ryanair statement to Clare FM

Scope of the Shannon Airport Maintenance and Training Expansion

The proposed facility would significantly expand Ryanair’s current footprint at the Co Clare airport. The airline already operates a three-bay aircraft maintenance hangar at Shannon that supports a workforce of more than 200 mechanics and engineering staff.

In addition to maintenance bays, the development includes a new Ryanair Engineering Academy. The academy will generate 80 new apprenticeship positions and train over 400 additional aircraft mechanics between 2027 and 2031. Subject to securing planning approval, construction is targeted to begin in early 2027, with the facility entering operation by late 2028.

While Clare County Council acknowledged in its correspondence that an aircraft hangar represents an appropriate development for the airport’s continued growth, the outstanding questions regarding soil management and environmental protections leave the timeline unresolved.