G-EUNA inaugurates BAW 1 from LCY to JFK

Flight BAW 001, operated by G-EUNA on finals to Shannon's R24 this lunchtime

It is six years since the 'Speedbird 1' call sign was retired with the last Concorde operations, but today it was brought back to life when British Airway's new premium only London City to JFK service took to the air. Flight BAW 1 departed London's dockland at 11.50 utc and just over one hour later it touched down on Shannon's R24 at 12.54 utc. Taxiing to it's stand the flight was greeted by the Shannon Airport Fire & Rescue Service who provided the traditional water cannon salute. 
British Airways Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh predicted that the service will be profitable within it's first year of operation and was among the passengers on the first flight commanded by Capt. Dave Thomas.

G-EUNA receives the water cannon on the Shannon ramp, copyright picture by Malcolm Nason

The new service is to be operated by two specially configured A318-112 aircraft, the first of which registered G-EUNA was delivered to the airline on August 28 last. In the interim the aircraft has been used for crew training purposes at London City Airport. The eventual pilot pool strength will reach sixty pilots once the second aircraft is delivered. Until the second aircraft is delivered the flight schedule will operate on a daily return basis, except Saturday when LCY Airport is closed. From mid October the schedule increases to two return flights per day, except Saturday. Flight BAW 1 departs LCY at 12.50 with BAW 2 departing JFK at 6.30 pm. Flight BAW 3 will depart LCY at 4.00 pm with the return departing JFK at 9.50 pm, all times local. Since the aircraft have been equipped as the 'airborne office' the service is being targeted at the frequent City business traveler who needs to be constantly contactable.

The A318 aircraft are configured with 32 lie flat seats

The short runway length at LCY prevents the A318 from uploading the full fuel load required to make LCY-JFK in one leg. As a result the flight has to make a fuel stop at Shannon on the westbound leg only. Whilst laying over at Shannon for the 45 minute stop the passengers clear full US Immigration, Customs and Border Protection so that they land in the US as domestic passengers, thus avoiding the lengthy queues in JFK. 
The Shannon stopover is also being used by BA to 'slip' a crew. The airline's flight crew are based at London's Gatwick Airport where their working day begins. To avoid the possibility of a crew being out of hours by the time they reach JFK due to en route delays at LCY or SNN the airline is 'slipping' a crew at Shannon.
In June, Lufthansa Technik subsidiary Shannon Aerospace announced that it would be providing line maintenance for the BA service at Shannon.

Aer Lingus and CBP

The refusal of Aer Lingus to use the US Customs and Border Protection facility for full clearance of US bound flights was the subject of a recent question in Dail Eireann (Parliamant) by Fine Gael TD for Clare and Deputy Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Pat Breen. 
In response to the question, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, TD, said given the very significant investment in the Shannon facility he hoped that as many airlines as possible would avail of the service. The Minister said that he "understood that Aer Lingus would face severe logistical difficulties in US airports in a situation where their ex-Shannon flights would be pre cleared and their ex-Dublin flights would not. Pre clearance will not be available at Dublin Airport  until Terminal Two is operational in 2010. Accordingly I understand that the airline has taken a decision to postpone using pre clearance for their US bound flights until the service is available in both Dublin and Shannon." The Minister added that the responsibility for marketing the USCBP service at Shannon rests with the Shannon Airport Authority. 
The fact that duty free sales are prohibited on pre-cleared aircraft will no doubt have played a role in the Aer Lingus decision.

N146CS returns to Bangor

US Custom's P3 Orion registered N146CS departed Shannon this afternoon. The aircraft arrived in Shannon just before 8 am yesterday morning on a deportation flight from Harlingen, Texas with Maze prison escapee Pol Brennan. In 1983, Brennan who had been serving a 16 year sentence for possession of explosives and a hand gun had escaped along with 37 IRA prisoners.

Mr. Brennan was deported from the US following his failed attempt to have Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano overturn the 2008 decision of immigration judge William Peterson to have him deported. Judge Peterson had ruled that Brennan be deported since he had a 1995 felony gun conviction, a 2005 misdemeanour assault conviction and he had admitted to activity in the 1970's for the IRA.

Mr. Brennan had been in immigration custody in Texas since Januray 2008 when he has detained at a check point with an expired work permit. It was following this detention that security checks had revealed his history.

N146CS departed Shannon using the callsign N140CS which was also used on the flightplan back to Bangor, Maine. It may well have been a case of 'Biro Trouble' whereby a '6' was transposed as a '0'. Correction would have meant a refiling of the flightplan and subsequent delays.

N146CS visits Shannon

Shannon had one it's most interesting aircraft of the year visit this morning. The aircraft in question is N146CS, a Lockheed P-3B Orion registered to the US Customs Service. Originally Bu No 154605, the aircraft (msn 5286) was delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force as A9-605 in September 1969. In December 1982 the aircraft was traded back to Lockheed as N40035 before being acquired by the UC Customs Service as N96LW. The USCS subsequently reregistered the aircraft to it's present marks of N146CS.

This morning's arrival in Shannon was the termination of a trip which began at Rio Grande Valley International airport at Harlingen in Texas. The aircraft stopped off at Norfolk Virginia where it departed for Shannon at 21.30 utc last night. Pictured above, N146CS is seen on finals for R24 at Shannon at 06.45 utc this morning.

The forward fuselage of N146Cs carries 'US Customs and Border Protection' titles while the tail carries the seal of the Department of Homeland Security. Although it is impossible to see on the picture the aircraft actually does carry a registration, which cannot be more than 100mm high located almost in line with the elevator leading edge.

US Immigration Officials take up residence in Clare / Limerick

At a meeting at the Mayor's office in Ennis today it was confirmed that 30 US Immigration staff are currently in the process of relocating to Clare and Limerick in anticipation of the CBP (Customs & Border Patrol) facility opening later this month on July 29.

Mayor of Clare Tony Mulcahy today received confirmation of the move during an hour-long meeting with the Deputy US Ambassador to Ireland, Mr. Robert J. Faucher.

Commenting on his hour-long meeting with Mr. Faucher at the offices of Clare County Council in Ennis today, the Mayor said: “We both agreed that the new facilities, once operational, will provide a significant boost for tourism and trade between the USA and Ireland. The Deputy Ambassador informed me that Ireland is the tenth highest investment location for US companies. This is especially encouraging in the current economic climate and I have no doubt that the new facilities at Shannon will further enhance commercial links between both countries.

Pictured above are on left Mr. Faucher, Deputy US Ambassador and on the right Mayor of Clare, Tony Mulcahy.

Minister Dempsey meets Homeland Secretary Napolitano on US CBP

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey met with the US Secretary for Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano to discuss the implementation of full US Customs and Border Patrol clearance. The legislation to implement the agreement from the Irish side is due to be debated in Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament) tomorrow, having already passed all stages in Seanad Eireann (the Irish Senate).

During the course of the discussion, Secretary Napolitano said that pre cleared aircraft would be allowed to land at domestic as well as international airports in the US. Secretary Nepolitano also confirmed that the US was committed to pre clearance at Shannon, irrespective of the expected downturn in winter traffic levels to the US from Shannon.

Minister Dempsey said that "Both the US and Irish governments are looking forward to the inauguration of this service, which will commence with commercial flights from Shannon on 29 July while pre clearance for general aviation is scheduled to begin there in the autumn. Both the secretary and I agree that pre clearance will bring great benefits to both our countries."

Department of Transport officials are scheduled to travel to Washington in the coming days to finalise the details on the implementation of the agreement.

Minister Dempsey publishes Aviation (Pre Clearance bill 2009

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey published the Aviation (Pre Clearance) Bill 2009 this week. The legislation when it comes into force will allow the establishment of full US customs and border pre clearance at Shannon airport from July 2009 and at Dublin from November 2010. Once established, Shannon will be the first airport outside of continental America, Aruba, Bermuda and the Bahamas to offer full CBP clearance. At present both Dublin and Shannon offer pre inspection. Publication of the 2009 Bill was necessary to ensure the opening of the facility at Shannon prior to the Dail (Irish Parliament) summer recess. British Airways has announced that it will be availing of the Shannon facility on westbound legs of it's new business only service form London City to New York when it commences this autumn.