He was on the wing of a U.S. military C

A man in his forties remains in custody 24 hours after the events. The reasons for his actions are still unknown.

The circumstances of the incident are still being investigated by local authorities. The Irish police announced on Sunday the arrest of a man who had penetrated into an “unauthorized area” of the strategic Shannon airport in the west of Ireland. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a man climbing onto an American air force plane.

“On Saturday, April 11, 2026, a man entered an unauthorized area of Shannon Airport,” the police said in a statement. “A man has been arrested for alleged criminal damage,” they added, specifying that he was in his forties.

An Airport Controversy

“This man, in his forties, is currently detained under Article 4 of the 1984 Criminal Justice Act at a police station in the Clare/Tipperary division. The investigation is ongoing,” confirmed a police spokesperson.

The man in question is still in custody the day after the incident, the police added. Images posted on network X show a silhouette positioned next to what some media outlets identified as a C-130 Hercules transport plane. The intruder, dressed in black, appears to be hitting the fuselage with an object.

Shannon Airport is controversial in Ireland because it facilitates the movements of American armed forces, providing them with logistical support during operations abroad.

Air traffic was temporarily suspended after the incident. Two departing flights were delayed and a plane from Lourdes, France, was put on hold.