A man climbed onto the wing of a parked United States Air Force C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft at Shannon Airport in Ireland on Saturday and used a hatchet to attack its fuselage and wing, causing extensive damage to the aircraft.
The incident occurred around 9:45 am when the individual was spotted in a restricted area of the airport on a remote taxiway. He accessed the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, climbed on its wing, and inflicted damage by repeatedly hitting the plane using a hatchet he was carrying.
Videos taken from a distance show the man hitting the plane’s wing, vertical stabiliser and other parts using the metallic tool.
Airport personnel used mobile stairs to reach and arrest the man, who was taken into Garda custody. Airport police, Shannon Airport’s fire and rescue service, gardaí, and Irish Defence Forces personnel responded to the breach. Additional uniformed gardaí, armed detectives, and members of the Garda Armed Support Unit also attended the scene.
WATCH: A man breached security at Shannon Airport in Ireland, climbed onto a parked C-130 Hercules, and damaged it with a tool.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 11, 2026
He was arrested. pic.twitter.com/uls2tfgGND
A search was conducted along the airport perimeter to determine how the man gained access. The security incident prompted a temporary closure of the airport for around 30 minutes. Operations resumed shortly afterward.
A Garda spokesperson said: “On Saturday 11th April 2026 an adult male entered an unauthorised area of Shannon Airport, Shannon, Co. Clare. An adult male (aged in his 40s) was arrested for alleged criminal damage by Gardaí shortly before 11:00am and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 in a Garda Station in the Clare Tipperary Division. Investigations are ongoing.”
This is the latest in a series of security breaches at Shannon Airport, which has long served as a transit point for US military aircraft. In November 2025, three people were arrested after a van breached security and entered a restricted area near a US plane. Earlier incidents in 2025 included a van crashing through a fence and activists causing criminal damage to an aircraft, leading to arrests.
Shannon Airport has faced ongoing protests, often linked to opposition against the use of the facility by the US military, particularly in the context of conflicts involving the Middle East. Previous actions have involved paint damage to aircraft and perimeter breaches.
