Shannon Group plc is on target to complete a new €18 million, 92,000 sq ft specialist aircraft painting hangar at Shannon Airport, adjacent to Shannon Free Zone and capable of accommodating some of the world’s largest aircraft.
Over 150 jobs have been created during the 14 month construction phase and the hangar is on target to be completed by the end of 2019. The hangar is located on the Shannon Airport campus which is home to the longest runway in Ireland.
The construction of the wide-body hangar is Shannon Group’s largest construction project to-date and will be Ireland’s first aircraft hangar to be developed in almost 20 years.Shannon Group will lease the hangar to IAC – International Aerospace Coating, a leading global aircraft painting, interiors and graphics specialist.
The project involves the construction of a steel framed wide-body aircraft paint hangar and internal ancillary office space, workshops, plant rooms and storage space within the airport lands at Shannon Airport. The new hangar will be the only hangar in Ireland with the capability to accommodate multiple aircraft types up to and including, the world’s largest passenger aircraft. Over 190 metres of new taxiway to facilitate aircraft movements is also being undertaken as part of the project.
Commenting on the need for the new hangar Mary Considine, CEO, Shannon Group said: “Shannon Airport has the largest hangar footprint of any Irish airport, with nine hangars. These are fully occupied and this project is being undertaken to meet demand for additional space and fulfil our role in growing and expanding Shannon’s cluster of aviation businesses.
“The development of such a major project demonstrates our commitment in this respect. It is part of an overall €100 million investment programme which the Group will have delivered for the region by the end of this year.”
The project is being delivered by Shannon Group and is partially financed by a loan from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF ) whose mandate is to support regional development and economic activity in Ireland on a commercial basis.
“We are very grateful for the ISIF support and the support they have shown for the aviation sector, particularly in Shannon,” said Ms. Considine.
