Strong winds diverted at least 6 Aer Lingus and Ryanair flights from Shannon Airport

Disruption overview

Strong southeasterly winds caused disruption at Shannon Airport in County Clare on 29 September 2026, with gusts reaching 44 knots and forcing at least 6 commercial flights operated by Aer Lingus and Ryanair to divert to Dublin Airport after failed landing attempts and holding patterns. No cancellations were announced, but evening delays continued as the airport managed irregular arrivals and airlines worked to recover aircraft positions.

Because the disruption was driven by severe weather, compensation is unlikely under EC 261. Even so, airlines should still provide care and assistance during long waits.

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Disruption details

Strong southeasterly winds disrupted flight operations at Shannon Airport in County Clare on 29 September 2026, forcing at least 6 commercial services operated by Aer Lingus and Ryanair to divert to Dublin Airport.

For passengers, this meant holding patterns in the air, aborted approaches, and longer journeys after being sent to Dublin instead of Shannon.

Gusts reached 44 knots, or about 81 km/h, during the worst of the weather. Air-traffic controllers held arriving aircraft until crews had a safe enough gap in the wind to make an approach, but several flights still couldn't land after repeated attempts.

The confirmed diversions included:

• Aer Lingus flight EI 385 from London Heathrow, which aborted its approach twice before diverting to Dublin.

• Ryanair flight FR 1183 from London Gatwick, flight FR 7083 from Corfu, flight FR 3257 from Birmingham, flight FR 3940 from Málaga, and flight FR 6329 from Warsaw, all of which diverted to Dublin.

• A private business jet traveling from Düsseldorf to Kerry, which was rerouted to Shannon after conditions worsened at its intended destination.

The confirmed diversions involved at least six commercial flights. Shannon Group said staffing and ground handling remained normal, although departure times could still shift as the airport worked through the uneven flow of arrivals.

Passengers were asked to keep checking airline notifications and allow extra time for their journey. That matters even more later in the day, when diverted aircraft often need to be repositioned before the rest of the schedule can settle back down.

The disruption matched a Status Yellow wind warning issued by Met Éireann for most of Munster, including Clare, from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm local time on 29 September 2026. A separate Status Yellow rain warning was also in force for neighboring counties, with a risk of localized flooding, adding to difficult travel conditions on the ground as well as in the air.

Similar weather-related problems were also reported at Kerry Airport and Cork Airport. At Shannon, the diversions showed how difficult strong crosswinds can be on the airport's single runway.

If your flight was diverted or heavily delayed because of this weather, compensation is unlikely under EC 261 because severe weather is outside the airline's control. Even so, your airline should still provide care and assistance during long waits, including food and drinks, accommodation if you need to stay overnight, and help with rerouting or a refund if your flight is canceled.

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