Shannon airport introduces electric first-mover vehicle handling unit

Shannon Airport introduced the First-Mover R-3500 electric vehicle handling unit on 7 April 2026.
The unit lifts vehicles up to 3500 kilograms and it operates fully on electric power.
The airport maintains 50pc of its fleet as electric vehicles.
The First-Mover removes disabled electric vehicles quickly from the airfield.
The Shannon Airport Group began a €15m terminal upgrade to support energy efficiency.

Shannon Airport has become the first airport in Ireland to introduce an electric first-mover vehicle handling unit. The airport deployed the First-Mover R-3500 on 7 April 2026. This state-of-the-art electric vehicle moving system lifts and transports vehicles up to 3500 kilograms and it operates remotely.

The unit originated as a tool for fire departments to handle electric vehicle fires safely. Shannon Airport maintains 50pc of its fleet as electric vehicles and the First-Mover addresses the need to move disabled electric vehicles that cannot undergo towing or lifting in the same manner as conventional cars. Airport teams remove such vehicles quickly and the action reduces disruption to airfield operations.

The tracked unit mounts on a flatbed vehicle lifting device and it pushes the flatbed under the vehicle without jacks or manual processes. An operator manoeuvres the lifted vehicle from a safe distance of up to 100 metres via remote control. The Shannon Airport Group achieved Level 3 Airport Carbon Accreditation and it secured Green Awards for large organisation of the year and public sector organisation of the year while it began a €15m upgrade of the terminal building to improve energy efficiency.

Mark Browne shared “We’re delighted to be the first airport in the country to have a First-Mover on site and its really going to be a game changer in terms of maintaining a safe and efficient airfield. With 24 electric vehicles, which is 50pc of our total fleet and growing – we needed a safe, reliable, and sustainable way to move EVs without risking damage. This investment not only strengthens airside efficiency and safety but also improves the experience for our passengers should any incidents occur in our public car parks.”