'WORLD Lingus' returns to Shannon Warport

Friday January 03, 2003 17:05

by Tim Hourigan - RefuelingPeace, Gluaiseacht, L4C, Green Party

Aer Lingus colours used again by military charter jet.

With the expected start of Operation "Get Iraqi Oil" only weeks away, Shannon is seeing plenty of military business. Not all of it as obvious as one might think. Recent arrivals Evergreen International have been through Shannon, in their pretty 747-200F (reg: N486EV) Evergreen have a $75million military cargo contract. Arrow, with a much smaller contract have been through too. And so have the old reliables WORLD Airways, and their passengers, the US ground troops.

I went up to the airport last night just before midnight and spotted a familiar sight.
A World Airways MD-11 in the Aer Lingus colours.
see this link for a picture taken in October 2002.

http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=20281

I assume that this is the same aircraft (N272WA) that I saw last night, otherwise WORLD have more than one aircraft going around in Irish disguise.

Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me because I could have snapped off a great shot.
Not only was this aircraft still in Aer Lingus colours, but the plane on it's right side was another WORLD Airways plane (in standard white)
and on the left we had a genuine Aer Lingus A320, so the WORLD LINGUS plane in the middle looked like the product of a "strange mechanical encounter".

(poor) humour aside, I'm very angry to see the colours of our national carrier used to camouflage US military activity.

I called Conor to get up with his camera, but by the time he pedalled up the plane had taxied out to the runway.

The green World jet took off at midnight heading 240, (into the wind) but then turned left to go east. (no prizes for guessing)

Conor and I headed up to get a look at the other World Airlines plane. from our position I couldn't get the reg, but the WORLD logos were visible.

We saw it at the terminal being refuelled and having some food loaded on.
We saw at least a hundred personnel reboarding the plane, most in civilian clothes, but some in desert cammo.

As I continued counting, the airport police suddenly noticed us standing in the middle of the car park with binoculars in hand.

We were politely asked to leave and the APO even volunteered his warrant card without fuss.
(we hadn't me this guy before and it was nice that at least one of them has good professional manner)
So we left, slowly... We didn't see how many troops in total got on the plane, but it was still boarding when we had walked quite a way down the road.

At 2am (now Friday 3rd) the white World jet took off down runway TWO-FOUR and, like its green companion made a big left turn.

We'll be doing more monitoring during the week, especially during the women's peace camp this weekend.

anyone in the area who'd like to help out, mail or call 086-3784780

Also, please write to Aer Lingus, Aer Rianta, the govt etc, expressing your feelings about US troops flying through Shannon, particularly in planes that look like Aer Lingus.

save preference

Comments (11 of 11)

Nothing new with this story

by William A Finnerty

Fri Jan 03, 2003 21:52

This aircraft has been previously discussed on our newswire. I think it is simply a case of World Airways not fully reverting to their own colours after a lease. Nothing that unusual about that - Aer Lingus have done so on many occasions in the past(Remember the last EI B747 that brought Jack Charlton and the Irish Team home from the World Cup some years ago). I doubt if it is an attempt to 'camoflague' an airfcraft or fool the public. There are better ways to do that! So I really dont think there is anything sinister here. Also pointless writing to anybody about this specific case. You can paint a plane whatever colours you like. Has anybody contact World to clarify things. Surely they have a website? Bottom line is taht I wouldn't waste too much energy pursuing this particular one ...

Deceit and painting planes and opinions in camo

by Phuq Hedd

Sat Jan 04, 2003 00:12

Finnerty opined:
"Also pointless writing to anybody about this specific case. You can paint a plane whatever colours you like. Has anybody contact World to clarify things. Surely they have a website? Bottom line is taht I wouldn't waste too much energy pursuing this particular one ..."

Hmm. You don't seem to be too keen on _anyone_ spending _any_ energy on this issue. Probably the "pointlesness" looks different depending on whether you're in Kansas or Shannon.

Thanks for this interesting information again Tim.

reds in the bed distraction

by Alastair

Sat Jan 04, 2003 18:18

Umm, the plane is green, but has a big 'World' logo whacked up there too. If you go to the World Airways site (http://www.worldair.com) you'll see pics of their planes in white, red and yes, green livery. Interesting history of the company and it's boss Edward Daly too.
The airline doesn't exactly make a secret of it's military contract work, and I'm a bit confused as to what or who the airline might confound by being mistaken for an aerlingus plane at a casual glance? Myoptic Al-Qaeda operatives?

Whether you approve of shannon being used for military stopovers or not is one thing, bizarro silly season stuff like this is another.

Ummm, Alastair, ummm

Sat Jan 04, 2003 20:22

until Tim Hourigan and (was it Des?) others started to collect data on the number of US military flights using Shannon no-one had any idea that we were such a nice little base for the US war of aggression. Flying in planes in colours similar to our national carrier makes it harder for observers like Tim or other Irish citizens to identify the use of our sovereign airspace by the USAF and its venal commercial subcontractors. So, ummm, think about it....mkay?

thought about it

by alastair

Sun Jan 05, 2003 14:47

yes, gave it some additional consideration. still think you have no persuasive argument. They (World) lease planes to various companies - sometimes repaint them in the process - they can't be arsed constantly repainting the things at expense to them selves, and therefore have a variety of colours on their fleet. It would take a pretty inadequate monitor not to notice the big 'World' logo on the planes, so either the world airlines/us military attempt at camoflage is a PARTICULARLY STUPID conspiracy or you are deluding yourself into seeing something in nothing. Do you REALLY think they believe they can confuse anyone who has the modicum of interest?

do you wear Blueshirts?

by Irish American

Mon Jan 06, 2003 02:08

Mon Jan 06, 2003 02:10

Just wondering, where you "monitors" are at Shannon. While I disagree with what you say, I'll "defend to the death your right to say it."

But I'd also like to give you the finger.

RE :Irish American

by Jack

Tue Jan 07, 2003 02:01

This site only represents about 1 % or less of Ireland. In Ireland we now what this site and the users are like, trouble makers. Disagree with everything. They are all students with to much time on there hands. They will grow up some day and look back and think what a fool they were. The Garda should of got more of them in may. Who knows they might finish the job this year.

Enough is Enough

by Bernard Geraghty

Tue Jan 07, 2003 11:29

bernard.geraghty at beaumont dot ie

49 Balcurris Rd, Ballymun, Dublin 11 Eire

01 8093070

First of all I would like to take this opportunity to say well done to those who brought this issue to the nation's attention. But what I would love to know is, when is someone going to stand up to this bleeding corrupt goverment? After all the bungs and tribunals, they then do this. Bertie should hang his head in shame. He is so responsible for f**king this country up at a time when we were going through a boom time. I say he is getting paid for doing it. We should tell them murdering American b**t**ds to go and declare war on themselves. Maybe then the world would be a better place. Keep up the good work.

Yours,
(A really p***ed-off Irish man)

re Bernard Geraghty

by luke

Wed Jan 08, 2003 16:53

Will done Bernard. Your right there are lots of problems in this country . THanks for listing them . I like the part were u say "when is someone going to stand up to this bleeding corrupt goverment". This site is great for people to talk sh it. Why don't u do somthing. Get up of ur lazy arse , don't talk about it. If you think the goverment are so bad , u run for goverment. Remember the people but the goverment there. That means there is no one better to do the job. All talk no action.

by dowtcha

Tue Jan 14, 2003 18:33

Dear "Irish-American",

I am one of the 1% to whom you refer. Your desire to see us all got by the Gardai is fascinating.

Let's see: 1% of circa 4 million folks (I'll do the maths for you), that's about 40,000 - and Justice Minister McDowell is *closing* prisons, sheesh Irish-American they'll never be able to keep us all. So by your estimation 40,000 Irish people oppose this, that's a pretty strong mandate I'd say. Maybe if Bush shipped is next 40,000 troops through Shannon the 40,000 of us could have one-to-one conversations, I'd like that but to be honest I doubt that they would.

Don't forget about the over 100,000 US citizens who marched on DC a few weeks ago (that's according to the radical pinko-liberal Washington Post), or the 400,000 in London in September (according to The Independent - which, by the way, was Maggie Thatcher's favourite read).

You see you don't hear about this in the news because you don't want to. This war is illegitimate and I'm proud to be one of the 1%.

Looking forward to the Supreme Court.

Peace.

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'WORLD Lingus' returns to Shannon Warport

Comments (11 of 11)