Airline under Department of Transport probe resumes carriage of munitions through Irish territory

The airline the Department of Transport is probing over illegal weapons flights has resumed transporting munitions to Israel through Irish sovereign airspace.

The Ditch first reported the illegal flights bringing explosives to the Israeli Defense Forces through Irish territory undertaken by Israeli-Belgian company Challenge Airlines last August – before uncovering a further 21 flights over 15 months.

Now the state-owned air traffic management agency has assisted the same airline on a New York to Tel Aviv cargo flight earlier this month – even though Challenge Airlines has illegally carried more than 750 kilogrammes of munitions for delivery to Nevatim Israeli Air Force base.

The Department of Transport announced last September it was examining allegations the airline transported munitions of war through Irish airspace without ministerial consent, an indictable criminal offence under air navigation law.

The Ditch has since reported the involvement of other airlines, including FedEx which continues to illegally transport munitions of war through Irish sovereign airspace.

AirNav Ireland assisted Challenge Airlines flight ICL982 from JFK Airport to Ben Gurion Airport as it went through Irish sovereign airspace over Donegal on 4 January this year. 

It was carrying 766 kilogrammes of F-35 combat jet parts without permission from the minister for transport.

Challenge Airlines, the Department of Transport and AirNav Ireland have been contacted for comment.

The Ditch editors

The Ditch editors