A second airline has illegally transported munitions between the US and Israel this year.
The news follows earlier Ditch reporting on a separate airline, Challenge Airlines, transporting 57 tonnes of munitions over Ireland on their way to Israel without clearance from the state.
Yesterday The Ditch reported that Silk Way West Airlines carried critical parts for F-16 fighter jets from Israel to the US in April this year.
The Department of Transport confirmed this evening it did not issue approval for the airline to “carry munitions of war” over Ireland – as is required by law.
Transporting explosives or munitions of war over Ireland without authorisation is a criminal offence.
A second airline. The illegal transport of munitions
The Silk Way West Airlines flight in question left Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on 17 April 2024, carrying explosive cartridge devices for use in F-16 fighter jets. Israel had made a deal years previous to sell surplus jets to a US defence contractor.
The flight stopped over in Frankfurt before going to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. It entered Irish sovereign airspace over Wexford and left over Galway.
Junior minister at the Department of Transport James Lawless was asked about the flight, which had explosives onboard, during an interview on RTÉ’s Drivetime yesterday.
"If any aircraft is travelling through either of those airspaces with what we call munitions of war, it has an obligation to apply for permission to the Irish government," he said, adding that government is investigating whether Silk Way West had carried explosives over Ireland without permission.
His department has now confirmed to The Ditch the airline did not receive clearance from the state.
“The Department did not issue any exemptions to carry munitions of war to Silk Way West Airlines in March or April 2024,” a spokesperson told The Ditch.
Late last month The Ditch reported that the Department of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that Challenge Airlines, a multinational air carrier, had failed to seek clearance from the state for at least eight flights carrying 57 tonnes of munitions to Israel through Irish airspace.
"In 2023 and to date in 2024, no applications have been received or exemptions granted for the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft to Israel," said a department spokesperson. "All foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly or land in Irish sovereign territory/airspace are required to obtain diplomatic clearance."
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said the Department of Transport confirmed Silk Way West Airlines illegally flew weapons over Ireland. It has been edited to show the department said it did not give Silk Way West Airlines clearance to fly weapons over Ireland.
