Flights have resumed at Shannon Airport after the runway was blocked for over two hours by an aircraft that had made an emergency landing on Monday morning.
The crew of the transatlantic cargo flight evacuated their jet on the runway after earlier declaring a Mayday situation, reporting a possible fire on board.
The Cargolux Boeing 747-400 (ER) jet was travelling from Miami, Florida to Amsterdam in the Netherlands at the time.
Flight CLX-94K was about an hour west of Shannon when the crew declared an emergency at around 6am and requested clearance from air traffic controllers to descend from 37,000ft to 25,000ft.
The crew confirmed there was a crew of three on board, and they were carrying a consignment of flowers. The crew also advised controllers they had an indication in the cockpit suggesting a possible fire on the main deck.
The crew confirmed they wished to divert and land at Shannon Airport, where authorities were notified of the situation and a multi-agency emergency plan was put into action.
Response
Shannon Airport’s Fire and Rescue Service was alerted and crews deployed to holding points adjacent to the runway ahead of the aircraft’s arrival.
Units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Shannon and Ennis stations were mobilised, along with National Ambulance Service paramedics and gardaí.
The crew advised controllers shortly before landing that they believed the fire alarm was a false activation but said they would evacuate the aircraft on the runway as a precaution.
The flight landed safely at 6.51am and came to a stop on the runway, where the three-person crew evacuated the aircraft using an emergency slide.
Operations were brought to a standstill at the airport while the runway was blocked by the aircraft.
Airport fire crews used thermal imaging cameras to scan the jet’s fuselage externally for any hotspots, however, no indication of a fire was found.
After the crew had evacuated, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus boarded the aircraft to carry out a more detailed inspection, finding no evidence of a fire.
Delays
The early morning Ryanair flight from Stansted to Shannon was placed in a holding pattern southeast of the airport for over an hour, but later diverted to Cork.
A second Ryanair flight from Krakow circled north of the airport for a time until the crew also opted to divert to Cork.
An Aer Lingus flight from Shannon to London was also delayed from departing, while the outbound legs of the diverted flights also face delays.
Operations resumed at 9.20am after the emergency slide was disconnected from the aircraft and the jet was towed clear of the runway.
It is now understood there was no fire on board the aircraft and the indication was a false alarm.
A spokesperson for the Shannon Airport Group confirmed the incident and the impact on other flights: “The aircraft was met on arrival by emergency service and Shannon Airport personnel. All crew members safely evacuated the plane.
As a result, FR093 from Stansted to Shannon and FR3326 from Krakow to Shannon has diverted to Cork. Intending passengers are being asked to contact their airlines.”
