Shannon Airport has become a pilot training centre for a number of international airlines.
Pilot training began at Shannon Airport in 1946. At that time, the provision of such training was worth just £1,000 a year to the Shannon area. Today, it costs £1,875 just to fuel the engine of the jumbo jet for one day of training.
The training of airline pilots at Shannon Airport is now big business.
Aircraft owned by Aer Lingus, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), British Airways (BA) and KLM are all a familiar sight over Shannon Airport during training exercises. Pilots are trained to fly DC8, DC9 and Trident planes. Training has now taken on a whole new dimension with the arrival of crews for training on the Aer Lingus and BOAC jumbo jets.
Over the years, pilots from nine foreign airlines have trained at Shannon, generating £6 million of investment in the greater Shannon area. About £2 million of this has been fees to Aer Rianta. Ancillary business like hotels and car hire firms have also benefitted.
In 1971 alone, direct revenue from pilot training will generate an estimated revenue of about £1 million.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 March 1971. The reporter is Michael O'Briain.
