Potential Routes

[Jerry]

It looks like the Cardiff airport agents team is out in Florida to promote the airport. Looking at the photos on Facebook it looks like they flew from Cardiff yesterday on KLM the mid morning departure and then flew from Amsterdam to Tampa with KLM and I'm assuming to Orlando with Delta but I don't know that for sure. Will be interesting to see what they post over the next few days. It does look like it could be in conjunction with a travel company called Ocky White travel.

 

[Marko1]

Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think Norwegian has a base in Tenerife any longer either

 

[geoff]

Ocky White travel have been in business over 40 years, they are based in Haverfordwest.

 

[superking]

It looks like the Cardiff airport agents team is out in Florida to promote the airport. Looking at the photos on Facebook it looks like they flew from Cardiff yesterday on KLM the mid morning departure and then flew from Amsterdam to Tampa with KLM and I'm assuming to Orlando with Delta but I don't know that for sure. Will be interesting to see what they post over the next few days. It does look like it could be in conjunction with a travel company called Ocky White travel.

If you into roller coasters Tampa is the place to go. There is more over there than Orlando,also you have St Petes beach on the gulf of Mexico.Car journey from Tampa to Orlando is only about 3 hours. Love Florida but not the roller coasters.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It looks like the Cardiff airport agents team is out in Florida to promote the airport. Looking at the photos on Facebook it looks like they flew from Cardiff yesterday on KLM the mid morning departure and then flew from Amsterdam to Tampa with KLM and I'm assuming to Orlando with Delta but I don't know that for sure. Will be interesting to see what they post over the next few days. It does look like it could be in conjunction with a travel company called Ocky White travel.

If it's Orlando one might think that TUI or TCX would be the likely contenders but if that was the case CWL would not need to go to Florida itself to drum up interest, would it?

So if Ocky White is the tour operator, that suggests an airline would have to be chartered to operate flights but again why would CWL go to Florida to be involved in that?

I'm intrigued as to why CWL would go to Florida at all. If it was New York I could understand it because such a route would or ought to be used as much by people from the USA as people from the UK. I wouldn't have thought that a service operated on behalf of a British travel company would see many potential travellers at the Florida end.

These are not rhetorical questions; they are put with hopes of enlightenment if there is something that I'm missing.

 

[Jerry]

So if Ocky White is the tour operator, that suggests an airline would have to be chartered to operate flights but again why would CWL go to Florida to be involved in that?

I honestly can't see Ocky White chartering aircraft. I'd imagine that they would put packages together from Cardiff using KLM and Delta. As far as I know as well the only American airline that operates long haul out of Orlando is Delta to Amsterdam. It is a weird trip but from the photos there are about 7 to 8 people on it. I'd have thought like you said if they were promoting the airport and maybe tours for American clientele New York would be the most obvious place. Maybe that is on their itinerary. I'll update if there are further posts.

 

[8mileshigh]

Could it be for the 2019 annual airports council exhibition and meeting in Tampa, starts 15 September

 

[Jerry]

Could it be for the 2019 annual airports council exhibition and meeting in Tampa, starts 15 September

It could be though i think they took a delta flight somewhere afterwards but they could've flown back. If it is hopefully their trip will prove positive for the airport in some way.

 

[Jerry]

It looks like the group went to Orlando first and then back to Tampa. Looks like it's to sample what each city has to offer for tourists. No doubt using KLM from Cardiff to get there.

 

[Jerry]

The airport has now posted about the Florida trip on their Instagram story and it was an invitation from KLM to promote their Tampa route and Deltas Orlando route. As well as representatives from the airport and Ockywhite travel other representatives from travelhouse Wales, tailormade travel and TUI went along as well.

 

[Nuffsaid]

With the state of Sterling versus the Dollar an Orlando route would not be the best one to launch from CWL just yet. Hopefully the airport is concentrating on getting a replacement for the Ryanair TFS route and possibly a link to Manchester.

 

[Jerry]

With the state of Sterling versus the Dollar an Orlando route would not be the best one to launch from CWL just yet. Hopefully the airport is concentrating on getting a replacement for the Ryanair TFS route and possibly a link to Manchester.

I'm personally starting to think that Orlando will never return.
As for replacing Tenerife realistically who would replace them?

 

[Nuffsaid]

Jet2 have picked up the slack at LBA for the loss of Ryanair to the Canaries this winter. This is probably the only feasible option.

 

[Jerry]

Jet2 have picked up the slack at LBA for the loss of Ryanair to the Canaries this winter. This is probably the only feasible option.

Jet2 aren't a feasible option as they don't base at Cardiff and don't operate W patterns to non bases. It's most likely CWL will just lose the flights and the route with Ryanair.

 

[Nuffsaid]

I am aware that they don’t base at Cardiff but it may be an option the airport could pursue. Jet2 has based elsewhere in Spain for the summers, not sure about the winter periods.

 

[Jerry]

They are summer seasonal bases and still they only fly to Jet2 bases. Jet2 would have to base to operate TFS and I honestly don't see that happening anytime soon.

 

[Jarvo]

The TFS route doubling in frequency only to cease a couple of months later is a bit strange, the route must have been going steady for them to do so. When they announced the Canary base closures, I kind of half thought that would be a prelude to basing an aircraft at Cardiff for year round sun routes, but the continued silence would say otherwise...

 

[Jerry]

The TFS route doubling in frequency only to cease a couple of months later is a bit strange, the route must have been going steady for them to do so. When they announced the Canary base closures, I kind of half thought that would be a prelude to basing an aircraft at Cardiff for year round sun routes, but the continued silence would say otherwise...

I personally think that if Cardiff retains the other flights from Ryanair and the same amount as winter from Flybe and Thomas Cook that'll be good news for the airport. I partly wonder as well if any hope of a Ryanair base has now been crushed by the UK government siding with Bristol and refusing to devolve APD because I don't see the airport having the cash needed to attract a base.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The TFS route doubling in frequency only to cease a couple of months later is a bit strange, the route must have been going steady for them to do so. When they announced the Canary base closures, I kind of half thought that would be a prelude to basing an aircraft at Cardiff for year round sun routes, but the continued silence would say otherwise...

Did FR CWL-TFS double in frequency? I thought it had been twice weekly in winter for a number of years.

 

[Jerry]

Did FR CWL-TFS double in frequency? I thought it had been twice weekly in winter for a number of years.

It was. The amount of winter flights from Ryanair doubled to 4 with Malta