Shannon Airport plane spotting guide

The short answer. The best place to watch planes at Shannon is the free Viewing Park on the north side of the airfield, close to the runway 24 end [3] [4]. It sits beside Atlantic Aviation Group's Hangar 1 [4], and OpenStreetMap maps its car park, "Shannon Airfield View", at 52.7108, -8.9125 [5]. Most landings use runway 24 [3], which brings them in over that end.

Best viewing point: the Viewing Park

spotterguide.net calls it the Viewing Park: a free car park with a viewing mound, beside Atlantic Aviation Group's Hangar 1 on the north side of the airfield [4]. airportspotting.com calls it a public viewing area next to the Shannon Aerospace hangar on the northern perimeter, close to the runway 24 threshold [3], and a 2020 forum post puts it next to the Lufthansa Technik parking [6]. Atlantic Aviation Group took over Lufthansa Technik Shannon in April 2022 [7], so these very likely name the same hangars under different owners, and older guides and locals still use the old names.

No airport page describes it as an official viewing area. It is well used all the same: when the Antonov An-225 landed in April 2015, a local paper counted up to 20 car loads of people in the viewing area [8].

How the runway changes the view. With runway 24 in use, landings come over the threshold near the park; the 2020 forum post recommends the spot for runway 24 landings and runway 06 departures [6]. With runway 06 in use, arrivals touch down at the far, south-western end, so for 06 landings move to the crash gate fields at the west end [4] [6].

Directions and parking

Navigate to 52.7108, -8.9125. These are the coordinates of the car park as mapped on OpenStreetMap [5], not an address published by the airport.

Google MapsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

The route, in general terms: take the N19 to Shannon Town Roundabout, leave on the R472 heading west, and keep on the road that runs west along the airport's northern edge for about 2 km. Turn left towards the hangars, then left again into the car park [5] [9]. spotterguide.net describes the last part the same way: turn left off the main road, then take the next left before the entrance to the hangar car park, and follow the narrow lane to the park [4]. From Drumgeely Roundabout on the N19 the drive is about 3.9 km, roughly six minutes [9].

Roundabout exits depend on which way you arrive, and published directions disagree about them, so put the coordinates into your maps app rather than counting exits.

Parking. OpenStreetMap tags the car park as public, with 25 spaces, two of them for disabled drivers, on an asphalt surface [5]. spotterguide.net describes the parking as free [4]. We found no source for opening hours or any rules specific to the car park, so check the signs when you arrive.

The runway

Shannon has the longest runway in Ireland [10]. The numbers are headings. Runway 24 points at about 232° true, towards the south-west, and runway 06 at about 052°, towards the north-east [1]. The terminal is on the southern side, with the maintenance and storage areas on the eastern and northern edges of the airport [3]. Runway 06/24 is the only one still active; the four other strips have closed [4].

Which runway, and when

Aircraft take off and land into the wind. At Shannon most landings use runway 24, coming in from the north-east [3]. No official figure for how often each direction is used was found, so the live block above is the way to check on the day.

• Runway 24. Arrivals come in from the north-east and touch down heading south-west [1] [3]. The Viewing Park and the industrial estate fence are the places to watch them [4] [6]. The landing distance on 24 is 3,059 m, 140 m less than the full runway [1].
• Runway 06. Arrivals come in from the south-west. The crash gate fields are the place for 06 movements and 24 departures [4].
• In fog. When low-visibility procedures are in force, low-visibility take-offs are permitted from runway 24 [1].

Both ends have a 3° glide path, with arrivals crossing the threshold about 55 feet up on 06 and 59 feet on 24 [1]. That works out at roughly 320 feet of height for each nautical mile from the runway, so an aircraft three miles out is about 1,000 feet up.

Other spots

The industrial estate suits the morning and the Viewing Park the afternoon. At every fence-line spot here, come, take your shot and leave again [4].

What you'll see

Shannon handled 2,239,668 passengers in 2025, and its busiest routes were London Heathrow, London Stansted and New York JFK [11]. The airport group counted 40 routes for 2026 [12]. spotterguide.net describes the traffic as colourful: aircraft stopping to refuel, flights diverting with a medical emergency on board, and technical stops before or after crossing the Atlantic [4].

• Transatlantic. In summer 2026 Aer Lingus flies to Boston and New York JFK, United to Newark and Chicago O'Hare, and Delta to New York JFK [13]. Aer Lingus uses the A321neo on its Shannon routes [14].
• Ryanair. Ryanair added a fourth based aircraft at Shannon for summer 2026 and flies 30 routes from the airport [15] [16]. On 2 September 2026 the Ryanair group listed 411 Boeing 737 Next Generation jets and 210 737-8200 "Gamechangers" [17]; the 737-800 and 737 MAX articles show how to tell them apart.
• Business jets. Shannon offers full US preclearance to airlines, business jets and general aviation, so aircraft can fly on to any US airport after clearing at Shannon [18]. The general aviation ramps are covered under Lindbergh Avenue above.
• Cargo. Turkish Airlines Cargo runs a weekly A330 freighter through Shannon to New York JFK, Chicago and Atlanta, and Cargolux a weekly year-round service. UPS (767-300), FedEx (ATR 42 operated by ASL Airlines) and DHL (757-200) fly nightly between Shannon and their hubs [19].
• Maintenance. Atlantic Aviation Group's Shannon base does maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification work for customers including DHL, Ryanair, ASL Airlines, Star Air, TUI and Jet2 [7]. Ryanair, IAC and Westair also have hangars there [4], so look out for airframes in unfamiliar liveries.
• Rescue 115. The Irish Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter is based at Shannon. Bristow Ireland took the service over from CHC Ireland in December 2024 [20].
• Military transits. 44,242 US troops passed through Shannon in 2025, and 15,326 from January to June 2026, 42% fewer than in the same months of 2025 [21].
• Rare visitors. The Antonov An-225 landed at Shannon in May 2013 and again on 12 April 2015 [8], and in June 2020 brought PPE from China on its fourth visit. About 3,000 people gathered at the fences for the visit before that, and the airport asked people to stay away in 2020 because of social distancing [22].

Inside the terminal, opposite JJ Ruddle's restaurant, the Aviation Gallery added more than 900 model aircraft in August 2023 to a first display of more than 1,500 opened in 2018, and it is free to see [23].

Shannon ATC live

These are the frequencies the Irish AIP publishes for Shannon, from pages valid from 11 June 2026 [1] [2]. A later AIRAC cycle can change them. They are for interest and listening only, not for navigation.

Listening online. LiveATC.net, a volunteer-run third-party site, listed four Shannon feeds when we checked an archived copy of its EINN page from December 2025: Tower and Approach (118.700, 121.800, 121.400), Shannon Control Low, and two Shannon Control High feeds [24]. Whether each one is up today shows on LiveATC's Shannon page.

Listening on a scanner. In Ireland, receive-only radio equipment that is inherently incapable of transmitting is exempt from licensing under S.I. No. 197/2005. The same order says it must not cause harmful interference and must not be used to improperly divulge the purport of any message [25]. That is our summary of the order, not legal advice.

Tips

• Light. Keep the sun behind you; shooting into it is usually something to avoid unless you want a silhouette [26]. The Viewing Park is on the northern side of the runway [3], which is why it is an afternoon and summer spot [4]. The industrial estate works all day in winter and from sunrise until late morning in summer [4], so start there and move to the Viewing Park after lunch.
• Season. Traffic is much the same all year, but summer is better for weather and daylight [4].
• Kit. Bring a two or three step ladder; almost every spot here needs one to clear the fence [4] [3]. A 70 to 300 mm zoom is the usual place to start [26], and the fence-line spots suit up to 400 mm [4]. Freeze a jet at 1/800 s or faster; slow down to about 1/320 to 1/400 s for propeller aircraft and helicopters [26]. A scanner helps you time your walk to the fence [4].
• Etiquette. Stay off the grounds of the companies in the industrial estate, keep a low profile, and do not linger at the fence [4]. Stick to established places along the fence line so you do not draw the attention of airport security [26].
• Security and drones. Shannon Airport's drone policy tells anyone planning to fly near the airport to read and comply with IAA regulations [27]. Drone operators must check the Irish Aviation Authority's UAS geographical zones map before flying and, in the open category, must not fly above 400 ft [28]. Around an airport, leave the drone at home.
• Comfort. There are no spotter hotels at Shannon, and no shops or toilets at the Viewing Park [4]. A car is needed for the western spots [4]. In the rain, the terminal's free Aviation Gallery is open to the public [23].

Common questions