The numbers of US troops going through Shannon Airport has increased dramatically since the start of the year, figures released yesterday by Aer Rianta reveal.
The figures show that last month 16,697 troops on 161 flights passed through Shannon, compared with the 7,922 who went through the airport in January.
The figures for the first quarter show 35,926 troops used Shannon, which is only 9 per cent down on the figure for the corresponding period last year when the US was preparing for war in Iraq. The March figure is significantly higher than the average monthly figure of 10,487 troops passing through Shannon last year.
Last year 125,855 US troops passed through Shannon on more than 1,500 flights, earning an estimated €15.5 million for Aer Rianta.
A member of Refuelling Peace, Mr Tim Hourigan, said yesterday it was "a disgrace" that soldiers are still being allowed to go through Shannon.
"It is likely that a number of them will be put in harm's way and may not be coming back and they are being used as pawns by the US government in this illegal occupation of Iraq," he said. "It is shameful that the Government or Aer Rianta continues to profit from this ongoing operation."
However, Clare Fianna Fáil deputy, Mr Tony Killeen, said US troops passing through Shannon was "routine business" for the airport. "It is a phoney issue in the way that it is portrayed because troops, either US or Russian, have been going through the airport over the past 40 years. It is routine business for Shannon airport and I think the focus on the issue by members of the anti-war lobby has been more anti-American than anti-war."
He added: "The business is welcome, but the issue of the troops going through doesn't merit the attention it receives."
Mr Killeen said the business had been critical in securing jobs in Shannon's catering operation. The 125,855 troops who passed through last year represented 5 per cent of the 2.4 million passengers that used the airport.
Meanwhile, the trial of anti-war activist Ms Mary Kelly (50) is listed for the sittings of Ennis Circuit Court due to begin next Tuesday. Last July, a jury failed to reach a verdict on Ms Kelly causing criminal damage to a US military aircraft at Shannon.
