Ryanair has submitted a planning application for a €50 million expansion of its engineering operations at Shannon Airport, incorporating a new four-bay MRO hangar that would become the airline's largest aircraft maintenance facility in Ireland and a dedicated Ryanair Engineering Academy supported by Enterprise Ireland.

According to Aviation Business News, the proposed development builds on Ryanair's existing three-bay maintenance hangar at Shannon, which currently supports more than 200 mechanics and engineering jobs. Subject to planning approval, construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with the new facility scheduled to enter service in late 2028.

The Engineering Academy will introduce 80 new apprenticeship positions and train more than 400 additional aircraft mechanics between 2027 and 2031.

Eddie Wilson, chief executive of Ryanair, said the project was about jobs, skills and growth. "Shannon already plays an important role in maintaining Ryanair's fleet, and this expansion will create hundreds of highly skilled engineering jobs while training the next generation of aircraft mechanics in Ireland," he said, adding that alongside a new Dublin hangar, the investment demonstrated Ryanair's long-term commitment to making Ireland a leading European centre for aviation maintenance.

Enterprise Ireland chief executive Jenny Melia said the announcement was a strong endorsement of Ireland as a location for long-term investment and growth. "The company's investment in skills and training in Shannon is particularly significant, supporting the development of specialist talent and helping to address critical skills needs across the aviation sector," she said.

Shannon Airport Group chief executive Ray O'Driscoll described the proposal as a powerful endorsement of Shannon Airport and its aviation ecosystem. "From the birthplace of aircraft leasing, Shannon has grown into a global hub for aviation services and engineering," he said, noting that Shannon Airport and the adjacent Shannon Airport Business Park together support almost 100 companies across Ireland's largest aviation cluster.

The expansion arrives as demand for aircraft maintenance capacity and qualified aviation engineers continues to grow across Europe, with MRO providers and airlines competing for a limited pool of licensed aircraft engineers as fleet sizes expand and ageing aircraft require increasingly intensive maintenance programmes.