Shannon Airport accommodates 2,000 passengers amid Heathrow flight diversions

Unexpected mid-air diversions reroute flights from the US and Canada, creating a logistical challenge for Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport accommodated six affected flights from Toronto, Atlanta, Bridgetown (Barbados), Boston, Orlando, and Newark. Picture Brendan Gleeson

Up to 2,000 people passed through Shannon Airport in the early hours of Friday morning when their flights were diverted unexpectedly mid-air due to the closure of Heathrow.

The Co Clare airport accommodated six affected flights from Toronto, Atlanta, Bridgetown (Barbados), Boston, Orlando, and Newark.

By just after noon, all of the affected passengers had departed the airport, having been bused to hotels at short notice.

There is no timeline yet for when those affected by the travel disruption will resume their journey.

It will be a huge logistical challenge, according to Niall Kearns, airport director at Shannon Airport.

How long it will take "will completely be with the airline and the ground handlers to try and figure out what's the most efficient solution for them," he said.

"Its a huge logistical challenge from their perspective."

"Heathrow obviously has to get back open again and then trying to see what's the best way and how soon they can't get them out of Shannon."

"There would have been a large exercise trying to accommodate as many people in hotel rooms at short notice. Certainly, the first flight that got off would have taken up all the local available capacity. People would have been accommodated whether they could find rooms."

The North Hyde electrical substation which caught fire last night. More than 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow Airport will be disrupted on Friday. Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

While welcoming the diverted flights was unexpected, the airport is well accustomed to handling similar issues, he added.

"Normally in a situation like this, air traffic control would be notified that there was an issue, and that there are aircraft in the air looking for an alternative destination. There would have been communication from air traffic control to the airport operations office and the duty manager here, who would start coordinating the response here."

"Shannon Airport is the most westerly airport in Europe. We regularly experience diversions for one reason or another whether its medical or technical, and when there are storm events as well, we are often the airport that receives a lot of diversionary aircraft from other Irish airports, as well as international airports."

"We've very well versed in handling this but not withstanding that, it was a great effort this morning to make sure we were able to redirect passengers as quickly as possible and get them on to other buses. We'll be accommodating them again when they are expected to fly out in the coming days."

The diverted passengers were understanding, he added.

"There's a situation, its not anyone's fault. Our priority was to land those aircraft safely and securely because once they are on the ground we can deal with the situation."