dailynewsnblog
A United States Air Force C-130 Hercules was damaged while parked at Shannon Airport (SNN) on Saturday, after a man climbed aboard the wing and started attacking the fuselage with a hatchet. The man was spotted at around 9:45 am when seen in a restricted area of the airport.
The remotely parked Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft has been reported to have sustained extensive damage, and a set of mobile stairs had been used by authorities to reach the man and arrest him. Airport police officers and airport fire crew responded immediately to the incident, alongside the Irish Defence Force and Garda Síochána (Irish police).
Extensive Damage To The USAF C-130H
On the morning of Saturday, April 11, a man broke his way onto Shannon Airport grounds, armed with a hatchet (small axe), where he was able to sneak onto the C-130, which had been parked at a remote stand. The individual male, believed to be in his 40s according to the NY Post, then climbed onto the wing before he started to hack away at the aircraft.
The damage was made to the fuselage and wing, according to The Journal. Once spotted, the airport was briefly closed for around 25 minutes, allowing police and other forces to arrest the man. An airport spokesperson commented on the closure:
“The airport suspended operations at approximately 9:50 am and resumed operations at 10:15 am.”
The Incident Closed Shannon Airport For 30 Minutes
The abrupt closure following the incident saw a small number of flights affected, with two departing flights delayed. An arriving flight was forced into a holding pattern and eventually was able to touch down around 10:22 am local time. The rest of the day’s operations were then able to continue without further incident.
This is not the first time that the airport has experienced a breach in airport security, last November, three individuals were arrested after they breached the airport grounds in a van. This incident last year was quickly intercepted by the police and Defence Forces, and the three individuals are currently before the courts.
While the individual’s intentions behind today’s incident with a hatchet at Shannon Airport remain unclear, this is a clear breach of airport security, which is in place to protect passengers, staff, and aircraft from various safety and security threats. The damage sustained to the aircraft will force it out of immediate service, and the cost to repair could be in the millions.
Three Arrested After Van Breaches Shannon Airport Near US Military Aircraft
The incident occurred yesterday morning.
Shannon Airport Used As A Stopover For The US Military
Shannon has for decades been an airport used by the United States military to stopover to and from wars in the Middle East, including the current Iran crisis, and previous activity in Iraq and Afghanistan. SNN has been used for around 15 years, and as suggested by Shannonwatch, is also used as a stopover for CIA rendition planes.
Since 2002, more than three million US troops have passed through the Irish airport, which is governed by the Convention of International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), meaning that usually no weapons can be carried onboard, unless given prior permission by the Irish Minister of Transport. The airport has one asphalt runway, which is 06/24, with a length of 10,495 feet (3,199 meters).
Shannon Airport is located between Ennis and Limerick, in County Clare, Ireland. It is the third busiest airport in Ireland, and was the first European airport to currently hold US Customs & Border Protection Preclearance. Today, just Shannon and Dublin host these facilities.
The airport today is a focus city for Irish ultra-low-cost carrier Ryanair, and Aer Lingus operates several European and transatlantic flights. Delta Air Lines, Discover Airlines, and United Airlines all offer seasonal services. The busiest routes from the airport are to 
London Heathrow Airport (LHR), 
London Stansted Airport (STN), and 
New York JFK Airport (JFK).
