Nine flights alleged to have carried military weapons destined for Israel passed through Irish sovereign airspace since the war in Gaza began, a Government investigation has found.
The Department of Transport launched the inquiry earlier this month following a series of reports on an online news site, outlining a number of flights alleged to have carried various types of explosives, ammunition and military goods destined for the Israel Defence Forces or Israeli arms companies since October 2023.
Under Irish law, airlines carrying “munitions of war” must apply for permission from the Minister for Transport before bringing the goods through Irish sovereign airspace. The department has previously confirmed that no licences for the transport of such goods to Israel were sought in 2023 or to date in 2024.
The flights are outlined in a large number of documents which were originally obtained from the Belgian government under freedom of information protocols by Vredesactie, a Belgian anti-war NGO.
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On the basis of these documents, the Ditch website reported that many tonnes of munitions had been transported from the US to Israel, via Belgium, after passing over Ireland. This included missile parts, rifle ammunition and tear gas canisters.
These goods were allegedly transported by the Challenge Group, an international air cargo company. It was also reported a second airline carried military goods including fighter jet parts through Irish airspace.
In June, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “No airport in Ireland or Irish sovereign airspace is being used to transport weapons to the conflict in the Middle East or any other war.”
The Department of Transport’s investigation has examined 11 flights. A spokeswoman said the investigation is ongoing but to date it has independently verified that nine of these entered Irish sovereign airspace.
A further two flights, which originated in New York, did not enter Irish sovereign airspace, which extends 12 nautical miles out from the coast, the department said.
The department said it is still working to confirm the aircraft were carrying munitions of war. A spokeswoman said it is as yet “not yet definitively clear” if the cargo required a ministerial exemption.
The Irish Times has reviewed the documents, which were passed on by Vredesactie, which were the basis for the initial reports.
Cargo manifests, known as airway bills, and other internal documents indicate flights operated by the Challenge Group were carrying explosive material with potential military applications.
These items appear to constitute munitions of war or dangerous goods under Irish legislation passed in 1979 and 1989.
The documents only detail flights which were carrying potentially dangerous material, such as ammunition and detonators.
This means other military equipment, such as unloaded guns or armoured vehicles, may have also transited through Irish airspace without ministerial approval. The Challenge Group did not respond to a request for comment.
The Department of Transport said it is liaising with the airlines involved. Asked if airlines will face legal sanction if found to have transported munitions of war without permission, the department said it “would not be helpful to speculate on what course of action the Government might take until the facts have been fully established”.
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