Ryanair has opened its first heavy maintenance facility in Ireland at Shannon Airport as part of a €10m investment that will yield 200 jobs in the region, including licensed engineers, mechanics and support staff.
The budget airline has leased the 5,220 sq m three-bay facility from the Shannon Group to support its fleet as it expands to more than 600 in the next four years. The facility incorporates a 4800 sq m hangar with an additional 420 sq m in modular offices.
"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 and commitment to Ireland," said Neal McMahon, director of operations at Ryanair.
"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 three-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.”
In Association with
Ryanair has operated from Shannon since 1986, opening a base at the site in 2005 and carrying more than 17m customers to and from the airport to date.
"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," said Mary Considine, CEO of the Shannon Group.
"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.”
Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary on Tuesday warned that fares could be increased by nearly 10% this summer due to heightened demand for travel this summer, with eurozone inflation measured at 7.5% in April.
The company this week reported a net loss of €355m for its most recent financial year, which ended in March, following another Covid-disrupted 12 months, despite customer numbers rising 250% to 97m and revenue tripling to €4.8bn.
Photo: Mary Considine (left), Neal McMahon (centre), and Shannon Group COO Ray O’Driscoll.(Pic: Arthur Ellis)
