US: The Pentagon has mobilised a fleet of 47 passenger and 31 cargo jets from 11 national airlines to transport troops and equipment from the United States to the Gulf region, according to the US Department of Defence.
The Defence Department did not state if the planes would use Shannon Airport as a refuelling stop. Such information would not be disclosed for security reasons, US Transportation Command spokesman navy Capt Steve Honda, said from Scott Air Force Base in Illinois yesterday.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, told the Dáil on February 5th that US military authorities were "quite happy" to continue to use Shannon Airport despite a decision by World Airlines, which is regularly contracted by US forces, to move 17 troop-carrying flights through another European airport.
This is only the second time in 51 years that the Defence Department has assembled the Civilian Air Reserve Fleet. The other occasion was before and during the Gulf War in 1990-1991.
The mobilisation order was made by Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld "to increase operations associated with the build-up of US forces in the Persian Gulf region".
The carriers "all volunteered to participate in this program", said Capt Honda.
"This is a contractual arrangement and they are being paid for the use of their aircraft."
The carriers that have signed up the first stage of mobilisation are American Airlines, American Trans Air, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, North American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Omni Air International, United Airlines, US Airways and World Airways, Capt Honda said.
Al least 110,000 US troops have already been deployed to the Gulf region ahead of a possible war with Iraq.