Named after Ireland's longest river, at the mouth of which it is located, the airport lies approximately 26 km west of Limerick and serves as the main gateway to the whole of the West of Ireland.
The airport is surprisingly large and heavily used, even for transatlantic flights, given the small population of the nearby towns. Indeed, it serves the entire western half of Ireland.
Ryanair has one of its many bases here, and direct transatlantic flights from Shannon to New York or Boston, for example, can be purchased on the Irish airline aerlingus.com.
US Preclearence
Shannon is one of only two airports in Europe (along with Ireland's other airport, Dublin) to have US immigration pre-clearance in the terminal. Once you arrive in the US, your flight will be checked in as domestic, saving you the often long queues that US airports have.
However, before departing Shannon for the US, ideally arrive at the airport 3 hours before your flight.
You will also go through US Preclearance immigration at Shannon when transferring from another flight to the US.
Get more tips for travelling from Shannon Airport
Whether you’re arriving to or departing from Shannon Airport, check out our handy tips and recommendations: