Cardiff: Loganair Flights, New Routes & Schedule Updates

[Jerry]

Up 15% in June, they must have better pickings elsewhere, or they don't have enough crews, or sufficient aircraft.

The problem is that they're opening a base in Southampton but don't seem to have the extra aircraft to open it so are cutting from elsewhere and unfortunately CWL loses it's Edinburgh route.

 

[Samdorob]

In terms of replacements on this route, I can only think of Ryanair doing 2 or 3 per week.
Alternatively Eastern (but there’s a 99% chance that won’t happen). They would need a based aircraft and from what I’ve seen they seem more invested in running the Cityhopper service for KLM.

Either way, the chances of any replacement are slim.

 

[Jerry]

In terms of replacements on this route, I can only think of Ryanair doing 2 or 3 per week.
Alternatively Eastern (but there’s a 99% chance that won’t happen). They would need a based aircraft and from what I’ve seen they seem more invested in running the Cityhopper service for KLM.

Either way, the chances of any replacement are slim.

Yep Ryanair is probably the only realistic option unless the airport pulls the miracle of Easyjet off! Hopefully both Cardiff and Edinburgh's route development teams will be lobbying Ryanair.

 

[geoff]

What we need but won't get, is several rich Welsh business men, or Welsh businesses, to set up a Welsh regional airline, along the lines of Air Wales MK 2. When it stopped operating it did not owe a penny to anybody ( Just wishing for a miracle )

 

[Jerry]

What we need but won't get, is several rich Welsh business men, or Welsh businesses, to set up a Welsh regional airline, along the lines of Air Wales MK 2. When it stopped operating it did not owe a penny to anybody ( Just wishing for a miracle )

Air Wales would be nice to see! Guess can dream but I know it's disappointing to lose Edinburgh but 2025-26 in general looks positive for Cardiff.

 

[Jerry]

WalesOnline seem to have realised that the Edinburgh has been dropped.

Cardiff Airport route to Scotland axed

A leading airline has scrapped the only direct flight between Cardiff and another UK capital

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[geoff]

Wales on Line have done it again, don't they know that Belfast is a capital City, is in the UK, and has a direct flight from CWL. Their standard of journalism is shocking.

 

[Jerry]

Wales on Line have done it again, don't they know that Belfast is a capital City, is in the UK, and has a direct flight from CWL. Their standard of journalism is shocking.

Northern Ireland does tend to be forgotten about but idk if they have forgotten about Belfast or just not worded it well.

 

[Jerry]

G-LMTC an ATR72 is the aircraft that'll operate Loganair last flight from Cardiff Airport (not counting 6 Nations flights) hopefully we'll see another airline pick up the Edinburgh route in the future but after today there'll be no flights between 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿&🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

 

[Em0866]

Their base at Southampton is potentially a lot more lucrative than the link between EDI and CWL, so I'm guessing they'll be able to fill more seats from there as the surrounding area in Southampton is more affluent. The population is more likely to afford their expensive fares! 😆
We'll see what great news awaits us for CWL in 2026.

 

[Jerry]

Loganair stats for Edinburg in 2025, 2024 in brackets.
January 860 (886)
February 900 (1101)
March 2036 (1247)
April 1518 (1397)
May 1528 (1583)
June 1327 (983)
July 1494 (1199)
August 1557 (1473)
September 1452 (1426)
October 1294 (1410)
November 1833 (1672)
December 1544 (1556)
Total 17,343 passengers (15,933) up 8.8% on 2024

 

[Samdorob]

Rumours are floating around (posted by SeanM) that Loganair may be closing their base at SOU. Flights to Manchester look to be ceasing at the end of August. It does make you wonder if this could be an opening on getting flights to EDI back at Cardiff.

 

[Jerry]

Rumours are floating around (posted by SeanM) that Loganair may be closing their base at SOU. Flights to Manchester look to be ceasing at the end of August. It does make you wonder if this could be an opening on getting flights to EDI back at Cardiff.

Routes that are being cut

https://twitter.com/x/status/2085307394607743309

Not sure Loganair are in a good place as an airline tbh. Cutting bases like this isn't healthy.

 

[Em0866]

I wouldn't hold my breath. With them cutting these routes it doesn't give confidence for any future new routes, either from CWL or anywhere else

 

[CAN&I]

Unless the Welsh or Scottish Governments offer to support a route between Cardiff and Edinburgh, Loganair won't be back. They won't be launching routes elsewhere for a while either judging by this sudden retreat.

It may be the market, the economy, the influence of ex-Flybe management or all of the above but something is going badly wrong. Having shuffled the deckchairs to throw everything at Southampton only to cut their losses after only 8 months demonstrates the reactive rather than strategic state of the business.

Can't help but feel that, sadly, Loganair are merely the latest domestic airline to lurch from crisis to crisis until something inevitably gives.

 

[Samdorob]

Can't help but feel that, sadly, Loganair are merely the latest domestic airline to lurch from crisis to crisis until something inevitably gives.

I hope not. But you’re likely right about them needing a financial incentive to run the EDI-CWL. It then begs the question of if it’s a wise choice if they are in financial trouble.