The world’s largest passenger aircraft made a spectacular landing on Ireland’s longest runway today as the Lufthansa Airbus A380 touched down at Shannon Airport. The double‑decker “superjumbo,” which can carry more than 500 passengers, landed at 11am on Wednesday, showcasing its extraordinary scale at 73 metres in length and 24 metres high. The aircraft is visiting Shannon to receive a new coat of paint at the IAC painting hangar. This year, Lufthansa is celebrating 100 years of service and will paint six aircraft in special colours to mark the occasion. The airline took delivery of its latest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in December with a distinctive white ‘XXXL Crane’ on a blue fuselage. The airline has just unveiled an Airbus A320 in this scheme, with an Airbus A350 currently getting a new coat of paint in France. A Boeing 747-8 will also receive this “anniversary fleet” scheme, along with the airline’s first Airbus A350-1000 due for delivery in October.
In addition to the A380, Shannon Airport welcomed what was the world’s largest commercial aircraft, the Antonov AN-225, on many occasions before its demise in 2022. In 2020, the six‑storey aircraft landed with Ireland’s largest single consignment of PPE at a pivotal moment during the COVID‑19 response. Its smaller sibling, the Antonov AN-124, now the world’s largest cargo aircraft, is a regular visitor to Shannon Airport, most recently touching down in December 2025.
Speaking today Airport Director of Shannon Airport, Niall Kearns, said: “It’s always exciting for the public when a big plane like the A380 flies into Shannon, and it’s very impressive sitting on the runway, dwarfing more regular aircraft. With the longest runway in the country, we are well equipped to accommodate these larger scale aircraft, and we handle them quite regularly. This Airbus A380 is rarely seen in Ireland, and we’re delighted to welcome it back.”
