Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Airlines applying for exemptions under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973 make such applications on a dedicated application form for each flight. In approximately 90% of cases the applications relate to the personal weapons of the troops on board the flight. The application forms for such flights specify that the exemption is being sought for the personal weapons of the troops on board and that no ammunition will be carried.If ammunition is being carried on a particular flight, it will be clearly stated on the application form. Ammunition is classified under International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, regulations as a dangerous good and must be packaged accordingly and stored safely. The flights carrying the personal weapons of the troops on board that transit through Irish airspace and airports are operated by well-known US and EU airlines. These airlines are subject to strict domestic, international and EU safety and security regulations. I have no reason to suspect the 1973 order is not being adhered to.

I will clarify a comment I made the last time I answered an oral question on this matter, Question No. 8 on 23 September. While preparing the reply to today's question, it became apparent to me that I had inadvertently given the impression that all munitions were packaged securely and stored in the hold in such a way that they are inaccessible during the flight. However, these rules apply to munitions that are classified by ICAO as dangerous goods, such as ammunition or explosives. Unloaded personal weapons are not classified as dangerous goods by ICAO. On this basis, the international rules for the carriage of dangerous goods by air do not apply to unloaded weapons. There are no special packing requirements for such items given that they do not pose a safety risk to civil aircraft.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The US Department of Defense procedures, which are available publicly, permit the carriage of unloaded weapons in the cabin of civil aircraft. However, these procedures permit this only in circumstances where all the passengers on board the aircraft are military personnel, that is, a troop charter flight, and where the weapons are unloaded, rendered inoperable and stored securely within the cabin. It should also be borne in mind that these flights have to overfly or land in a number of other European countries besides Ireland and that common EU safety and security rules apply. I am not aware that such flights have raised aviation safety concerns in other jurisdictions.

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