The Irish Coast Guard says a new aviation service at Shannon Airport will future proof the next generation of search and rescue operations.
The service includes an expanded helicopter fleet and the introduction of fixed wing operations for the first time.
On display at the Search and Rescue base at Shannon is the AW189 which is one of six purpose built helicopters based at Waterford, Sligo, Dublin and Shannon.
For the first time, the Coast Guard will also deploy a 24-hour fixed wing aircraft service, provided by two Beechcraft B200 King Air aircraft, also based at Shannon.
The new fleet is expected to revolutionise emergency operations over the next decade.
The Director of the Irish Coast Guard Michéal O'Toole said it was a historic day for the service.
The upgrades, he said are "going to future proof the service we provide to our communities, not alone in the short term, but into the next decade, and really bring the Coast Guard into that best in class emergency service arena, both nationally and internationally."
Mr O'Toole said the new aviation assets will improve the Coast Guard's ability to monitor the environment and maintain domain awareness over the 450,000 square kilometre area of operation.
He said the introduction of the fixed wing aircraft will enhance operational safety and environmental monitoring.
"These aircraft have a heightened level of technological integration in terms of communication suites, in terms of their sensor suites, and indeed, in terms of their overall performance. So in that sense, rather than being reactive to tragic events, we would hope to be in a proactive position, in some cases, to even eliminate the incident before it occurs," Mr O'Toole said.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Irish Coast Guard Sean Canney said the new fleet will work as an integrated aviation service, enhancing the overall capability of Coast Guard services to the public.
"This is a pivotal moment for Ireland’s maritime safety and environmental stewardship," said Minister Canney.
"For the first time, the Coast Guard has a dedicated fixed wing aircraft which will enable it to meet international obligations in proactive maritime environmental monitoring and pollution investigation, enhancing our overall awareness of any threats to our maritime environment, covering an area of 132,000 square miles."
There have been concerns expressed by offshore island communities as to whether the Leonardo helicopter is a downgrade on the previous Sikorski helicopter in terms of cabin size, flight range and overall capabilities.
Pilot Paraic Slattery has flown both aircraft and addressed those concerns:
"As you can see from the aircraft itself, there's quite a beamy cabin here. It means the casualties on the stretcher, for example, come out across the way. And also the other addition here is that the wider door makes it easier for a stretcher patient, from a winching scenario to enter and exit."
"In this instance, a lot of our gear is stored down the tail. So while the cabin looks shorter than the Sikorski, the gear storage capability remains the same"
Mr Slattery said people should not have any concerns with the new service.
The changeover is still ongoing but the full service is expected to be up and running by early next year.
The official announcement comes two years after the Department of Transport signed a ten year contract with Bristow Ireland who have taken over from CHC Ireland.
The company commenced operations at Shannon Airport in December last year followed by the introduction of the fixed wing service in May of this year.
The aircraft on display at the Search and Rescue base at Shannon Airport, have a special new livery, with broad green stripes alongside the traditional red and white coastguard colours.
The fixed wing aircraft are seen as a game changer for the Irish Coast Guard.
Flying at 26,000ft, the aircraft can use wide-area surveillance (WAS) mode to see over distances up to 200 nautical miles.
This can locate a person or a target vessel in the water over a huge area. The fixed-wing aircraft are also used to coordinate helicopter operations, such as vectoring them into a rescue location.
The King Airs have a huge range and can stay in the air for many hours, ranging thousands of kilometres out to sea and back to base.
Bristow Ireland commenced SAR helicopter operations from Shannon in December 2024 utilising newly built AW189 helicopters, followed by the introduction of the fixed wing service in May of this year.
In July 2025, the Dublin-based service commenced operations from Weston Airport which signified the end of 27 years of Coast Guard helicopter services operating out of Dublin Airport.
The other two bases in Waterford and Sligo will transition over the coming months.
