Cardiff Airport - General Thread

[CWL94]

Balkan holidays will be flying to Bourgas too

 

[Jerry]

Balkan holidays will be flying to Bourgas too

Why do i keep forgetting about them!

Post automatically merged: Dec 22, 2022

There'll be 3 departures on Christmas Day this year

TOM6706	TUI Airways	Lanzarote	25 Dec 2022	10:30	Scheduled
KL1066	KLM	Amsterdam	25 Dec 2022	17:25	Scheduled
W65694	Wizz Air Hungary	Milan Malpensa	25 Dec 2022	19:30	Scheduled

 

[geoff]

Does anyone know if the Maleth Air A330 which came in today, was a cargo flight or a passenger charter. I read somewhere this week, that they had just taken possession of a passenger to cargo conversion.

 

[CWL94]

As it stands CWL will loose 3 flights a week with Vueling to Alicante and 2 too Palma

ALC 2022 scheduled seats on sale - 95,970
ALC 2023 scheduled seats on sale - 81,440

2023 is based on Wizz flying Nov-Dec and Vueling not Nov-Dec (both subject to change)

PMI 2022 scheduled seats on sale - 43,320
PMI 2023 scheduled seats on sale - 28,520

That leaves 14,530 less seats to ALC and 14,800 less to PMI which is a big reduction!

Hopefully it isn’t too late for FR to come in and offer a seasonal service to both operating June-Sept when demand is much stronger

 

[geoff]

It would certainly be a boost for CWL if FR would enter on the two routes, if not perhaps WIZZ could be persuaded to boost their presence at CWL to increase their presence on the routes.

 

[Jerry]

I'd say there was still time for an announcement even starting in April!

 

[Jerry]

From the airports facebook page.

Something new for 2023!

Phase 1 of exciting improvements to the main terminal building at Cardiff Airport will commence in the New Year and will be completed by Easter.
Phase 2 will commence in winter.
A new ‘next generation’ security screening area will result in a streamlined and faster experience, whilst maintaining the highest standards of safety and security compliance.
The project has been sympathetically designed to have minimal on the passenger journey during the construction work and passengers are invited to make their way from check-in through security as normal.

Temporary toilets, including accessible facilities will be located in-front of the terminal building next to the Special Assistance doors.
#FlyCardiff #FlyLocal

Cardiff Airport

Cardiff Airport. 34,237 likes · 571 talking about this. The official Facebook page for Cardiff Airport

www.facebook.com

 

[Jerry]

Wishing everyone a Happy New year! Hope 2023 is better than 2022 for everyone and Cardiff Airport gets lots of new routes, airlines and extra frequencies on current routes!

 

[Jerry]

Statement about Wizz Air from the airports facebook page.
"Wizz Air Announcement 10-01-23
We are deeply disappointed to hear that Wizz Air has decided to cease their operations at Cardiff Airport on 25 January 2023.
It is regrettable that Wizz Air has cited the economic climate as its reasons for withdrawing its operations out of Cardiff.
Our thoughts are with our customers who are impacted by this news and now face disruption to their travel plans for this year, along with our friends and colleagues that are employed by Wizz Air based at Cardiff.
We encourage those customers who had booked on Wizz this year, to consider an alternative choice to fly to their chosen destinations from Cardiff with TUI, Vueling Ryanair and KLM.
Passengers with any queries regarding Wizz Air flights from Cardiff should contact the airline directly at:"

I know i'm usually positive about Cardiff's future but i have to say Wizz's leaving has me really concerned about the airports long term future. The airports challenge has always been that the airlines it needs refuse to fly from it or operate any significant operation from it like a base. In the case of Easyjet it's sought alternatives in bmiBaby, Vueling, Flybe and lately Wizz and in the case of Ryanair it's managed too attract some flights but not the 2 to 3 aircraft base that would be needed to make the airport sustainable. With Wizz gone i don't see any more possible alternatives to Easyjet anymore. Ryanair might add some extra flights but a base may still be as elusive as ever. I just don't see where the airport goes from here to be a sustainable business. It has TUI but is a 4th aircraft realistic? Loganair don't either seem interested in or capable of offering more flights to Edinburgh and possibly other destinations while Emerald Airlines are always going to be limited to Ireland and Vueling seem to be slowly retreating from Cardiff. I suspect KLM will eventually get back too 20 weekly in the long run but will they have an airport to fly to because with the cost of living crisis, disputes over nurses pay etc can the Welsh government still keep supporting Cardiff especially if there's no prospect of growth and of course we don't know who'll Labour will replace Mark Drakeford with in the future? It feels like CWLs future may well be very unsure.

In all this though i generally feel for the Wizz staff who it seems were expecting to return at the end of March and the airport staff who once again have to deal with the fallout of another airline leaving the airport and for the passengers who spent their hard earned money with Wizz and were looking forward to going on holiday with them from Cardiff Airport.

 

[Jerry]

Yesterday there was a question in the Senedd plenary from the Conservative party about Wizz Air pulling out of Cardiff and the airport's future. Interestingly Lee Waters Deputy Minister for Climate Change, basically Transport Minister in all but name, did state that the airport was on the path to sustainability but that it now it would take longer too achieve and also asked the question does Wales want an international airport? The question begins around 10 minutes into the plenary and ends around the 15 minute mark.
At around the 1 hour 55 mark Plaid Cymru Economy spokesman asked about the future sustainability of the airport, Lee Waters answered again, immediately after this question was answered Jane Dodds leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats basically said close it.
This exchange ended around 2hours 6 minute mark. Both exchanges are in clips below.
The government does seem supportive of the airports long term future which has restored my confidence about it a bit.

Plenary - Sixth Senedd

The Senedd is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.

www.senedd.tv

Plenary - Sixth Senedd

The Senedd is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.

www.senedd.tv

 

[geoff]

I think that many members of the green lobby in the Senedd who would like to see the airport shut down, forget about all the jobs and the families they support at the airport. I wonder what they would say to the people who voted them, if the airport was to shut down.

 

[Jerry]

I think that many members of the green lobby in the Senedd who would like to see the airport shut down, forget about all the jobs and the families they support at the airport. I wonder what they would say to the people who voted them, if the airport was to shut down.

Well Labour's and Plaid position is too support the airport and for it to stay in public ownership. The Tories seem to be for it too go back into private ownership and it now appears the Liberal Democrats plan is for it to be closed.

Post automatically merged: Jan 12, 2023

According to an email that's been posted on social media as a reply to an inquiry about replacement flights, it appears the airport was told about the closure of the base on Monday and that they are actively talking to airlines, including Ryanair about replacement flights.

 

[geoff]

I's good to hear that they are talking to other airlines. although I suspect they are doing that continually, I wonder if WIZZ had an idea that something was developing and got out before it became too competitive for them. It would be nice if that was the case.

 

[Jerry]

I wonder if WIZZ had an idea that something was developing and got out before it became too competitive for them.

Can only hope but i'd have thought that if something was developing especially an airline for summer 2023 it would've happened by now?

 

[Foxlimayankee]

I's good to hear that they are talking to other airlines. although I suspect they are doing that continually, I wonder if WIZZ had an idea that something was developing and got out before it became too competitive for them. It would be nice if that was the case.

Can we get out of this habit of thinking Airlines leave because they get scared of a rumour? Airlines are businesses. Any Airline worth its salt has to fight. They don't leave at the whiff of competition. If anything they fight it out until they know they can't make it work. This isn't a playground.

 

[White Heather]

The airport that is finding it hard to take off

Last year Cardiff Airport was valued at just £15m, less than a third of what the Welsh Government paid for it

www.walesonline.co.uk

A somewhat depressing read?

 

[Jerry]

The airport that is finding it hard to take off

Last year Cardiff Airport was valued at just £15m, less than a third of what the Welsh Government paid for it

www.walesonline.co.uk

A somewhat depressing read?

Yep. It's also noticeable on social media that all the aviation experts are out commenting.

 

[geoff]

Yes it is depressing, but CWL has had a terrible run of bad luck, with 4 airlines, 3 of which went bust i.e. FlyBE, Thomas Cook, Stobart Air, and now WIZZ leaving. Applications for 8 PSO routes turned down by the UK Government, and a recommendation by the Welsh Affairs Committee, in the House of the Commons to reduce APD in 2021 refused out of hand. The only way now is up, and hope for a brighter future.

 

[Jerry]

Yes it is depressing, but CWL has had a terrible run of bad luck, with 4 airlines, 3 of which went bust i.e. FlyBE, Thomas Cook, Stobart Air, and now WIZZ leaving. Applications for 8 PSO routes turned down by the UK Government, and a recommendation by the Welsh Affairs Committee, in the House of the Commons to reduce APD in 2021 refused out of hand. The only way now is up, and hope for a brighter future.

Well Stobart Air essentially was replaced by it's successor Emerald Airlines. I think Cardiff Airport is an example of how every airport especially the smaller ones are always on a knife edge when it comes to airlines.

 

[MrFenner]

The airport that is finding it hard to take off

Last year Cardiff Airport was valued at just £15m, less than a third of what the Welsh Government paid for it

www.walesonline.co.uk

A somewhat depressing read?

From such a rotten media group? I’d have expected nothing less. Plus there’s so many incorrect facts. But people still read tripe…