Shannon Airport was closed for a time this evening following a security breach where a van attempted to entered the airport.
Three people have been detained after they left the van stuck in a ditch and they ran onto a taxiway. The incident is understood to have occurred at around 6.20pm.
It’s believed that a white van crossed a grass area on the main road into the airport and crashed through the perimeter fence.
It’s understood that a number of people wearing orange jump suits, hard hats and scarves over their faces then entered the airport’s ‘air side’ area. They ran in the direction of a taxiway before were detected and quickly apprehended.
Airport Police officers responded to the scene from both airside and landside directions while Gardaí were also alerted and requested to attend.
While the front of the van managed to breach the security fence by several feet, it was prevented from making it any further by a trench that runs inside the barrier.
It’s thought that three persons then climbed out of the van and ran towards a taxiway a long way from the runway. Once the breach was detected, flight operations were suspended.
This resulted in just a few inbound flights being placed in holding patterns until operations could resume.
A spokesperson for The Shannon Airport Group has confirmed: “Shannon Airport has resumed normal operations following an incident which required Gardai assistance. The airport suspended operations at 6.30pm and a number of flights were delayed as a result. The situation was promptly addressed by Gardai and operations fully resumed at 7.30pm.”
A Garda spokesperson confirmed: “Gardaí responded to an incident of criminal damage at Shannon Airport, Co. Clare that occurred shortly before 6:30pm this evening, Thursday 1st May 2025.
Three individuals were subsequently arrested and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co. Clare.
Investigations are ongoing.”
Meanwhile, it’s also understood that the air traffic control tower frequency suffered interference around the same time as the van smashed into the fence.
It’s not known whether the incidents are connected however air traffic controllers asked airport security personnel to try an locate the cause of the interference saying ‘someone is blocking the tower frequency.’
