Ryanair has warned that its planned β¬50 million aircraft maintenance hangar at Shannon Airport in Ireland, along with 300 high-skilled jobs, will move to Poland unless the project wins planning permission in time for construction to start in early 2027.
The warning came on Thursday, October 8, a day after Irish broadcaster RTΓ reported that Clare County Council had put the planning application on hold over a proposal to store contaminated soil from the site in a raised berm.
The Shannon project
Ryanair announced the plan in July. It covers a new four-bay Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at Shannon, which would be the airline's largest aircraft maintenance facility in Ireland, together with a new Ryanair Engineering Academy.
The airline already runs a three-bay maintenance hangar at Shannon, where it says more than 200 mechanics and engineering staff work. According to RTΓ, the academy is set to create 80 new apprenticeship roles and support the training of more than 400 additional aircraft mechanics between 2027 and 2031. Ryanair said in July that, subject to planning approval, construction would start in early 2027 and the facility would enter operation in late 2028.
Why the application stalled
RTΓ reported that the council has "serious concerns" about a two-metre berm planned for a site south-east of the hangar. Site investigations found that part of the land, previously used as a fire training ground, contains soil contaminated mainly by firefighting foam.
A planning report lodged on behalf of the Ryanair applicant firm, Wonderlight Ltd, by Enviroplan Consulting proposes removing that soil and using it to build the berm, capped with an engineered barrier system and fenced off. The council said its concerns relate to the berm's proximity to sensitive environmental receptors, including indirectly the Shannon estuary, possible effects on human health and the risk that the berm could sterilise development land within the airport.
The council has asked the firm for a full justification of the berm, including an assessment of alternative soil management options. At the same time, the council said the hangar itself is an appropriate form of development at the airport, given Shannon's continued growth.
Ryanair's ultimatum
Ryanair tied the deadline to its fleet plans. The airline is due to receive the first of its 300 new Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft in early 2027 and says its growing fleet needs more maintenance capacity by 2028.
"Ryanair is ready to invest β¬50m in Shannon and create 300 new high-skilled jobs but we will not accept planning delays or bureaucracy," said Ryanair COO Neal McMahon. "This is a major opportunity for Shannon and the wider region, building on our existing engineering operation and supporting the next generation of aircraft mechanics. However, if Shannon cannot deliver this project on time, then we will move it and the 300 jobs to Poland."
The airline's statement added: "We cannot afford planning delays or endless bureaucracy. If Shannon cannot deliver this project on time, then we will move the hangar and 300 jobs to Poland. Construction of the Shannon facility must commence in early 2027."
What it means
Heavy maintenance capacity is a real constraint for fast-growing airlines. Ryanair's fleet is built around the Boeing 737, and every aircraft needs regular hangar checks. With hundreds of 737 MAX 10s due over the coming years, the airline needs more bays, more mechanics and more training places to keep that fleet flying.
Poland is already an important market for Ryanair and its Buzz subsidiary, which makes it a credible alternative location. For Shannon, the hangar would add skilled jobs at an airport that relies heavily on aviation employment, including aircraft leasing and maintenance businesses.
The next step lies with Wonderlight Ltd, which must respond to the council's request for more information on the berm and soil options. Only after that can Clare County Council decide on the application, and Ryanair has made clear it wants an answer that allows work to start in early 2027.
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