Nearly 2,000 United States military and civilian aircraft carrying munitions of war landed at Irish airports or flew through Irish airspace over the past three years, according to data obtained by RTÉ News.
Between 2022 and 2024, a total of 978 US military aircraft landed in Ireland, primarily at Shannon Airport, while more than 1,000 civilian aircraft carrying weapons or military equipment also stopped for refuelling or maintenance — known as “tech stops.” An additional 1,700 applications were made for civilian flights with munitions onboard to transit Irish airspace.
The Department of Transport, which oversees flight permissions for civil aircraft transporting weapons, approved more than 99.9% of these applications. Only two applications were rejected in 2023, both involving Omni Air International flights, which were denied access due to “the nature of the total munitions of war proposed to be carried.”
Military aircraft, which are governed separately, faced no refusals over the same period, according to figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Most civilian flights were operated by charter companies like Omni Air International and Atlas Air, which frequently work under US government or military contracts. Common destinations included NATO hubs such as Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, and the long-standing US base in Kuwait.
While the government insists the activity does not compromise Ireland’s military neutrality, critics argue otherwise. Peace campaigners, including members of the group Shannonwatch, have long raised concerns over the scale of US military traffic through Shannon. Edward Horgan, a retired Irish Defence Forces officer and veteran campaigner, described the airport as a “logistics hub for the US military,” particularly troubling in light of ongoing conflicts abroad.
“This is particularly inappropriate with the genocide that is happening in Gaza,” Horgan said.
Professor Mary Ellen O’Connell, a leading international law expert, said Ireland should more strictly enforce its neutrality by refusing access to aircraft carrying weapons to war zones. “Ireland should have complete control over planes that land at Shannon that are carrying munitions,” she said.
While many flights carried unloaded personal weapons with no ammunition, the government does not disclose whether military aircraft carried live munitions. One civilian flight in 2022 was listed as carrying ammunition only.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson reaffirmed Ireland’s neutrality, stating it is defined by non-membership in military alliances and non-participation in mutual defence arrangements.
Despite the controversy, some argue the airport is not a true US military base. Daniel L. Davis, a retired US Army officer who stopped at Shannon after serving in Iraq, said, “It sounds more like a leasing agreement… not a permanent US military facility.”
The growing use of Irish airspace and airports for US military purposes has reignited debate about the country’s role in global conflicts — and what neutrality should look like in practice.
