Weapons of war went through Ireland

Shannon Airport was used to transport weapons of war from Israel to the United States. Late last year a military engine weighing more than two tonnes went through the county Clare airport.

The Department of Transport, which is responsible for the passage of these weapons through Ireland, has been contacted for comment.

Last week The Ditch reported that Silk Way West Airlines carried critical parts for F-16 fighter jets through Irish airspace from Israel to the US in April of this year. The Department of Transport later confirmed that it didn’t give permission for this flight.

Yesterday TDs from People Before Profit, Sinn Féin and the Independent Group told the Dáil that time should be allocated to discuss The Ditch’s reporting on the carriage of munitions through Irish airspace.

On 18 November 2023, a Silk Way West Airlines flight heading for Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Azerbaijan left Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

It was carrying a military engine weighing just more than two tonnes, according to shipping documents obtained by The Ditch.

From Azerbaijan the plane flew to Shannon Airport on another Silk Way West Airlines aircraft on 26 November, 2023.

Hours later it departed Shannon with the military engine and arrived at Chicago O’Hare International Airport later that day.

The Ditch has established that the military engine was shipped by an Israeli shipping company based in Tel Aviv.