Ryanair is to create 200 jobs in the mid-west with the opening of a heavy maintenance facility at Shannon Airport.
The facility was opened on Wednesday and is the result of a €10m investment. The “high-skill” jobs it will create include licensed engineers, mechanics, and support staff.
It has been described as a “state-of-the-art three-bay facility” and will support the maintenance of Ryanair’s fleet.
The budget airline is set to grow to 600 aircraft by 2026 and it is Ryanair’s first heavy maintenance facility in Ireland.
“This facility will create 200 high-skill jobs, demonstrating Ryanair’s continued growth and commitment to Ireland,” said Neal McMahon, Ryanair Director of Operations.
“Ryanair creates opportunities for highly skilled engineering jobs, with our industry leading rosters and the youngest fleet in Europe. Shannon is an ideal location with opportunities to attract, train and employ local talent to support this new facility.”
The Shannon Group CEO said the investment is a “vote of confidence” in the future of the airport.
“Having Ryanair at Hangar 5, one of ten fully occupied hangars on our Shannon Campus, is another significant boost for the region, creating high quality jobs for local aviation specialists,” said Mary Considine.
“The resulting jobs and investment are also consistent with our strategic plan to increase economic growth and retain skills and talent in the region. We have a close relationship with Ryanair, with Shannon Airport now having more destinations served by Ryanair than in 2019.” The investment comes as holidaymakers were warned of increased flight prices this summer.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned earlier this week that prices will rise due to soaring demand for European holidays.
He said on Monday that people hoping to go on holiday should brace for prices to rise by a “high single-digit per cent” over the peak season as demand for breaks on European beach resorts rebounds thanks to the lifting of pandemic travel restrictions.
