⚠️ Reference data only, not for flight planning. Full notice →
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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Shannon Airport

Compiled by

Shannon, County Clare (Ireland)
IATA: SNN ICAO: EINN
Longest Active Runway
10,495 ft
3,199 meters
Field Elevation
46 ft
14 m MSL
Runway Inventory
1 active
Lighted / Paved
Coordinates & Class
52.7020°, -8.9248°
LARGE AIRPORT
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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →
RunwayFacts Published Dataset
#495 of 650
In curated primary commercial index
Global Commercial Universe
#795 of 7558
Top 10.5% percentile worldwide
National Standing (Ireland)
#1 of 2 in IE
#1 of 15 in full national registry
vs Large Airport Median
+5%
Compared to 10,000 ft baseline
💡 SNN in numbers: 10,495 ft longest runway · #495 of 650 published · #795 of 7,558 worldwide (top 10.5%) · #1 in Ireland.
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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Shannon Airport (SNN)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Content verified: 2026-10-30

Shannon Airport holds unique historic and modern strategic significance on the western edge of Europe. Its 10,495 ft runway 06/24 was extended by the end of World War II for transatlantic flights. Today, SNN remains a vital Atlantic diversion threshold, backed by full US Customs and Border Protection preclearance facilities that allow US-bound flights to arrive at domestic gates.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments
Single active runway 06/24: 10,495 ft / 3,199 m / 3.199 km, asphalt, 148 ft (45 m) wide. A second runway, 13/31, appears in older charts but is not listed in the current dataset — see the source note under Sourced history & facilities.
Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities
Opened in 1942 on the Shannon estuary as the eastern anchor of early transatlantic piston aviation. Pioneered the world's first Duty Free shop in 1947 and introduced the first US Border Preclearance facility outside North America in 1986.
Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role
Ireland's longest runway: 10,495 ft / 3,199 m, 292 ft (89 m) longer than Dublin (DUB, 10,203 ft / 3,110 m) and 3,497 ft (1,066 m) longer than Cork (ORK, 6,998 ft / 2,133 m). Shannon was the transatlantic gateway before Dublin took over long-haul traffic.
Data Nuances & Operational Quirks
Primary emergency diversion destination for North Atlantic ETOPS commercial flights experiencing medical, mechanical, or fuel emergencies.

SNN vs national peers (RunwayFacts data)

  • SNN's 10,495 ft runway is 146 ft above the median longest runway of the 2 published airports in Ireland (10,349 ft).
  • 1 of those 2 airports have two or more active runways; SNN has 1.
  • Nearest published airport in Ireland: Dublin Airport (DUB), 106 NM away, longest runway 10,203 ft, elevation 242 ft.
  • Within the 650 published airports, SNN ranks #495 by runway length and #524 by elevation.

Sourced history & facilities

  • Shannon's 3,199 m runway was requested in 1995 for addition to the Space Shuttle transoceanic abort landing (TAL) list. [Wikipedia — List of Space Shuttle landing sites]
  • NASA confirmed in 2003 that Shannon's 3,199 m runway was authorized as an emergency landing site for shuttles on certain trajectories; no Space Shuttle ever landed at Shannon — the site was contingency-only. [Wikipedia — Shannon Airport]
  • In August 2001, British Airways used Shannon for Concorde crew refresher training ahead of the return to service, with Concorde G-BOAF flying from Heathrow on 7 August 2001 for a series of 35 take-offs and landings. [KUNA — BA Concorde on test flight (7 Aug 2001)]
  • Older charts list a second Shannon runway, 13/31, at 5,643 ft; the current RunwayFacts dataset (OurAirports snapshot 2026-09-01) and current single-runway listings show only 06/24, so 13/31's current status is not confirmed. [fltplan.com — EINN airport info]
  • Cork Airport (ORK) main runway 16/34 is 2,133 m (6,998 ft), making Shannon's runway 1,066 m (3,497 ft) longer. [Wikipedia — Cork Airport]
📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Ireland National Civil Aviation Authority · State Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) & ICAO Annex 14 Standards
Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway 8,000–10,499 ft
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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

SNN lies at 14 m (46 ft), #524 of 650 published airports by elevation and 18.1 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 98 ft below the Ireland median (144 ft, 2 airports); DUB is highest at 242 ft, 196 ft higher than SNN.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

0 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

No published neighbour with a paved runway of 5,000 ft or more within 100 NM of SNN. Nearest published airport: Dublin Airport (DUB), 106 NM, 10,203 ft (292 ft shorter than SNN); 2 within 250 NM.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 10,495 ft (3,199 m)

SNN runway: 06/24 10,495 × 148 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: #1 of 2 in Ireland; 292 ft ahead of DUB (10,203 ft). +5% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator Length (ft / m) Width (ft / m) Surface Material Lighting Status
06/24 10,495 ft (3199 m / 3.199 km) 148 ft (45m) Asphalt (ASP) ✅ Lighted ✅ Active

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →