Aer Rianta has earned an estimated €14 million from the US military's use of Shannon Airport so far this year, it emerged yesterday.
Figures released by Aer Rianta show that 115,157 US troops have passed through the airport up to the end of November on a total of 1,464 flights.
This represents a 58 per cent increase on the number of US troops who went through in 2002.
Figures for November show that the number of US troops using the airport is on the increase once more, with 14,418 troops passing through during the month, which is higher than the average monthly figure this year.
Aer Rianta Shannon is estimated to have earned €14.2 million since the start of the year from these troop movements.Last year, the company generated €9 million in revenues from the 73,000 US troops who passed through the airport.
The release of the figures relating to troop numbers by Aer Rianta comes ahead of an attempted blockade of the airport today by anti-war activists protesting at the continuing use of Shannon by the US military.
Ahead of the planned "blockade", Mr Richard Boyd Barrett, chairman of the Irish Anti-War Movement, said yesterday: "We are not seeking or looking for confrontation, but will be protesting in the traditions of non-violence and civil disobedience."
Garda reinforcements are expected to be drafted in to police today's protest.
In line with the most recent anti-war protests at the airport, it is expected that the protesters will not be allowed within 2km of the airport terminal and will instead be stopped by Garda barriers 300 metres from the entrance to the airport. As part of this plan, gardaí are expected to allow passengers enter and exit the airport through the Shannon Industrial Free Zone.
Today's Garda operation represents a further draw on Garda resources - since July of last year it has cost the State €671,577 to police demonstrations at Shannon, while the total Garda overtime bill in policing Shannon since the start of this year is over €1 million.
The last protest at Shannon in June failed to attract more than 100 protesters. Gardaí made a number of arrests for obstruction.
Mr Boyd Barrett declined to give details on how the protesters will mount the "blockade".
Plans to disrupt the running of the airport were yesterday condemned by the mayor of Shannon Town Council, Cllr Seán Hillery (FF), who said: "What will these people achieve except disrupt passengers and an airport, which is trying its best to market itself? But actions like this make it much more harder to achieve that.These protesters are picking the wrong target. It was a Government decision to allow Shannon Airport be used by the US, so these activists should be protesting outside Dáil Éireann and not targeting Shannon."
