SHANNON Airport remains closed this morning after unexpected heavy fog reduced visibility below safe operating limits late last night (Sunday October 8).
All outbound services were immediately cancelled while incoming flights were advised of the situation and diverted to Dublin Airport.
Flights in and out of Shannon remain cancelled this morning, with the airport not expected to reopen until later this morning when weather conditions improve.
It is very rare that Shannon is forced to close as a result of poor visibility, with Cork, Knock, and Dublin airports being more prone to reduced visibility conditions.
Last night, however, dense fog forced airport authorities to close the airport after visibility dropped below safe operating limits.
The poor visibility at Shannon was compounded by ongoing essential works being undertaken on a taxiway at the airport. This prevented the airport from implementing ‘low visibility procedures’, which they would otherwise have been able to.
A number of flights to and from Shannon Airport were cancelled while no flights have operated in or out of Shannon since the airport was closed shortly after 11.00pm last night.
Several inbound flights, which were already on approach to Shannon, opted to divert to Dublin Airport.
In a statement this morning, a Shannon Airport spokesperson said: “Due to unexpected heavy fog conditions during a period of essential taxiway maintenance work, Shannon Airport remains temporarily closed.”
“As a result, flights in and out of Shannon Airport may be cancelled or delayed this morning, Monday 9th October. Passengers are advised to check their flight status directly with the airline in advance of travelling to the airport.
“The runway is expected to reopen later this morning once the fog clears, subject to weather conditions. We will continue to update passengers across our social media channels.”
Meanwhile, the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter was prevented from landing at University Hospital Galway (UHG) last night also as a result of poor visibility.
Rescue 115 had been tasked to airlift a patient to hospital from Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. The helicopter crew had planned flying the patient to UHG, however on approach to the hospital visibility was too poor to attempt an approach or landing.
As a result, the helicopter flew the patient to University Hospital Limerick before returning to land in Shannon before the airport was forced to close.
Passengers expecting to depart from Shannon Airport across today can expect long delays, with some flights delayed up to 10 hours.
