Galwayman completes PPE ‘mercy missions’ to China

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – ‘Not all heroes wear capes’ has become the recurring call in praise of our frontline workers over the last few weeks – but just because they don’t wear a cape doesn’t mean they can’t fly!

That is especially true of Ciarán Sweeney, from Maree outside Oranmore, who flew to China on Wednesday for the second time in a week as part of the Aer Lingus mercy flights, which are picking up crucial supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for hospitals around the country.

Ciarán – who turned 29 last month – joined Aer Lingus as an apprentice aircraft mechanic in 2011, and has been with the company ever since.

With air travel as good as shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ciarán and his colleagues at the airline found themselves with their working hours cut by 50%.

Rather than lounge around trying to kill time, he – and many others at Aer Lingus – instead volunteered their time to take part in the PPE flights to China, and he undertook his first flight last Saturday; before taking to the skies again on Wednesday.

“I just wanted to do something, to try and help, and this was the obvious way for me,” explains Ciarán – the eldest child of Brian and Róisín Sweeney – who has progressed from being an apprentice mechanic to qualifying as an avionics engineer; and then as an avionics A-Check supervisor.

“Basically, each flight has five pilots and two engineers, and that’s where I come in, as an engineer. Myself and the other engineer, we try to get as much sleep as we can on the way over because once we land, that is when our work starts for the next twelve to 18 hours,” he explains.
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