Written answers

Tuesday, 6 December 2016

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Military Aircraft Landings

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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483. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the payment to the Irish Aviation Authority by his Department to cover the costs of US military planes landing in Shannon Airport and air traffic control costs. [33824/16]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The payments by my Department to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) represents a reimbursement of costs incurred by the IAA in the provision of aeronautical communication services and en-route air navigation services provided by the Authority to certain specified classes of airspace users (e.g. military aircraft, State aircraft, Search and Rescue).

The practice derives from the exclusion of State aircraft from the scope of the Chicago Convention establishing the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). While the application of the exemption from charges is at the discretion of the State concerned, the policy and general practice at international level is to exempt such flights from charges. Ireland, in common with the vast majority of Eurocontrol's 41 member states, subscribes to this practice. The exemption does not cover terminal charges such as landing fees consequently no reimbursement occurs for these charges.

The total amount paid to the IAA in 2015 in respect of exempt services was €2.5 million. This amount includes the cost of US military and State flights and exempt flights from other States. This payment is in respect of the ​amounts invoiced to IAA, in the first instance, by Eurocontrol. That body sets the charges under its Route Charges System based on a number of factors including distances and aircraft size and weight. For further details on the route charges system, I refer the Deputy to the latest Eurocontrol Report on the Operation of its Route Charges System in 2015. It is available at

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