Joe Humphreys assesses Shannon's importance to the US military build-up against Iraq
In all the discussion about the use of Shannon Airport for the transport of US troops to the Gulf, one question remains: how important is the facility to the war effort? An answer was given in part this week when one of the largest commercial carriers using Shannon for the transport of troops, World Airways, informed Aer Rianta it was sending its next 17 flights through Frankfurt instead.
Shannon, the airline made clear, is not indispensable.
But, says retired Army officer Dr Tom Clonan, that doesn't take away from the airport's significance in the military build-up against Iraq.
"Shannon is playing a pivotal role in the most vital element of the operation by helping to get troops to the Gulf as quickly as possible, and as close as possible to the war." He says that for some weeks now the US Defence Forces had all the necessary infrastructure in place to fight the war. The airpower had been provided by aircraft-carriers which had already moved into the region, while most of the ground armour had been in place since 1991, when it was put in storage in Kuwait.
"All that has been missing is the people, and this is where Shannon is extremely important - not for the transport of weapons or munitions, but human beings.
"Now is the most sensitive preparation phase for America. You want to get the troops there quick and in one concentrated group. The longer they are standing around the more you lose the initiative, and the greater a target they become. Also, as time goes by, the motivation to fight, and union cohesion, deteriorate." Dr Clonan, a lecturer at the DIT School of Media, notes the minimum training for desert war is 12 days, while the optimum is four weeks. Sensitivity about such issues might have informed America's "kick-ass reaction" to the Shannon Peace Camp, and its overt support for tighter security arrangements at the facility, he says.
"One of the great advantages of Shannon up to now is that no one has paid it any notice. It is easier to defend than airports in built-up, urban areas."
One of Shannon's other main advantages is its relatively low cost for carriers. Its location on the western fringe of Europe means aircraft can carry less fuel and more cargo when crossing the Atlantic. Unlike at some other airports, troops at Shannon are not charged a passenger service fare on stopovers, as they are deemed not to be using the airport's facilities.
"There is a cost benefit to Shannon," says Jim Proia, vice president of operations at Miami Air International, one of four commercial carriers which brought US troops through the airport last month.
"It gives you a point where you can load up with fuel and make your Atlantic crossing with more than sufficient reserves. It's a very strategic location especially when you are flying aircraft which wouldn't have the range or capability to fly direct into central Europe." While he says landing charges would be similar to those at other European airports, the technical, back-up and ancillary services at Shannon make it particularly attractive.
"Over the years, Shannon has been a great place to stop - with the duty-free shop, and all the little nuances. It is also useful for unplanned stops when other airports are closed because of bad weather." However, he stresses, "Shannon is not the only airport we could use". While the airline has made no decision to suspend flights to the airport, he says it is receiving intelligence reports on the security situation.
One option being considered is to route only return flights, which are empty of troops, through Shannon, in order to avoid protests. All such decisions would be made "based on events, restrictions and the political situation", says Proia.
The benefits of the stopovers in Shannon are not in doubt. Each aircraft earns Aer Rianta about €250 in landing charges, depending on its weight. Revenue last year from military activity at Shannon came in at €9 million.
This, according to the company, comprised catering and retail sales as well as fuel and landing charges.
In the last month alone, it adds, there were 162 military flights through the airport, carrying an estimated 18,000 troops.
Given the US plans to transport up to 100,000 more troops to the Gulf before the end of the month, there could be plenty more business coming Shannon's way. Whatever the scale of such movements, however, Shannon has already proved its worth.
"I am amazed at the naivety of people saying Ireland has no strategic value," says Dr Clonan. "Ireland has always been strategically valuable as the first landfall when travelling west to east. For the Americans to change plans now and cease using Shannon would not dent the war effort," he added. "But it would be an inconvenience they could do without." Or as President Bush's special envoy Richard Haass put it this week: "Are there alternatives or substitutes [to Shannon]? Yes. Would they be as good? No."