Cardiff: General Airport Discussion & Updates

[Barry Man]

British Airways has announced a multi-million pound investment in its engineering maintenance facility at Cardiff Airport.

The planned investment will expand one of three existing maintenance bays at British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC) to facilitate larger long-haul A350 aircraft. When completed, BAMC will go from one to two fully flexible bays, which will allow more complex and detailed maintenance work to be completed.

The planned work will help increase the airline’s efficiency across maintenance operations as the engineering base will be able to facilitate more aircraft types. Currently, the base can only serve Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft types. This expansion, part of the airline’s £7bn transformation investment, will get underway in 2025 and is expected to be completed by 2026. The project underscores the airline's commitment to the future of its Cardiff-based operations – which employs 480 colleagues, supporting the Welsh economy.

Andy Best, Chief Technical Officer at British Airways, said: “Our Welsh engineering base is an integral part of our maintenance operation, and this investment, as part of our wider maintenance strategy, will ensure that British Airways Engineering Wales continues to play a key role for many years to come. The expanded facility provides us with greater flexibility and control over our Heavy Maintenance activity on both the Boeing and Airbus long-haul fleets, ensuring more efficient planning and execution.”

Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Welsh Government, said: “This is very welcome news from British Airways, paving the way for further growth at their Cardiff site and its highly skilled workforce.

“This announcement once again demonstrates the vital role that Cardiff Airport plays in bringing investment into Wales and in growing our Aerospace Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul sector, where we see continued international interest”

This investment is a recognition of the airline's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability in aircraft maintenance. It acknowledges over 30 years of BAMC’s experience in this industry and will help build on that experience to keep delivering excellence in the future.

 

[CAN&I]

As covered by Barry Man above, here is the link to the original BA media briefing from 22nd November 2024:

https://mediacentre.britishairways....ion-pound-aviation-investment-in-cardiff-base

 

[Qing4theloo]

And indeed announced on this very thread (post number 3714 on p.186) ...
It was 6 months before I joined. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it 😁

 

[Jerry]

"Burnham said he had promised the Welsh government "to look at any asks for further devolution and policing has been specifically mentioned within that"
As devolution of Air Passenger Duty was in the current Welsh government manifesto i do wonder if they'll ask for it.

Andy Burnham says he is 'open' to devolving policing in Wales

Andy Burnham said it was a "good time" to look at issues like policing during his visit to Wales.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[CAN&I]

Can't help but feel APD devolution seems increasingly unlikely at the moment given the "green" objectives and recent increase in flight taxation. Even if it the debate re-opened, Bristol and Birmingham Airports will vigourously challenge it, plus the WG will be pressed hard as to how they will pay for it - if they reduce it or abolish completely.

 

[Jerry]

Can't help but feel APD devolution seems increasingly unlikely at the moment given the "green" objectives and recent increase in flight taxation. Even if it the debate re-opened, Bristol and Birmingham Airports will vigourously challenge it, plus the WG will be pressed hard as to how they will pay for it - if they reduce it or abolish completely.

It'll be interesting to see if the Welsh government ask for it as it was in their manifesto.

Some highlights from the Airliners World article from the interview with Jon Bridges

His first 6 months he's talked to about 30 various airlines at conferences etc, he doesn't want flash in the pan airlines.

He mentions being open 24/7 365 days a year and that long-haul is a big opportunity.

He wants to build sustainability for the longer term. Sustainable partner and sustainable routes get mentioned as well in building longer term relationships with airlines.

Mentions about getting the message out being open for business for both cargo and passenger.

Mentions a 5-10 year strategic plan with infrastructure development as part of that and building a solid foundation for growth.

Bus service connectivity gets mentioned with the airport looking to ensure it does have that.

Exploring a Metro link is mentioned as a long term opportunity especially with him thinking Cardiff can be an economic gateway to Wales.

Cardiff modest drop off fee gets a mention in relation to its competition with revenue from it put back into airport infrastructure.

Profitability is mentioned as a key aim so the airport can stand on it's own 2 feet and to make sure alternative revenue streams are maximised. Cargo gets mentioned there.

He definitely seems to be positive about the airport and the future.

Overall a good article. You do have to pay for it if you want to read the whole thing.

https://pocketmags.com/magazine/reader/298461?pageNumber=6&article=article_70-1

 

[geoff]

Scathing post on Pprune about CWL, stating a list of 6 items where CWL management had failed in the past, and that they were an insult to the management capabilities of Basil Fawlty. Perhaps he is not aware that the management team at CWL, has changed considerately in recent times, and the present team are working really hard to improve all aspects in relation to the airport.

 

[MrFenner]

Scathing post on Pprune about CWL, stating a list of 6 items where CWL management had failed in the past, and that they were an insult to the management capabilities of Basil Fawlty. Perhaps he is not aware that the management team at CWL, has changed considerately in recent times, and the present team are working really hard to improve all aspects in relation to the airport.

Just look at that posters historic posts, nothing but doom and gloom from them all re: CWL!

Pinch of salt job again.

That site is toxic at the best of times…

 

[Barry Man]

Got too face it contributors on Prune just don’t like Cardiff Airport and nothing will change over time . They are only there for argument, just read what they say and ignore them best way .

 

[CAN&I]

The person in question on "pploon" is but one of a long list of so-called “experts” that are more than plentiful online. If only 1% of these goons actually worked in the industry, or even at Cardiff Airport, perhaps both would be the better for it. Then again, perhaps not.

This particular end of a bell has plentry form. Only recently he judged the Welsh Government subsidy “completely wrong” and "shouldn't be allowed as it has distorted the industry", despite a panel of subject matter experts at the Competition Appeal Tribunal finding otherwise and hearing legal presentation in support and against – twice.

He's also one of many industry analysts who claim Vueling "is the latest airline abandoning the airport entirely" despite absolutely nobody knowing for sure what their future plans are (perhaps not even Vueling!) and that "the passengers aren't there", completely ignoring 14 years of carrying thousands of passengers from and to Cardiff and more recently offering perhaps their greatest presence on the Alicante and Malaga routes over the last summer season. Also conveniently ignored was IAG's confirmation that route growth was being abandoned for the year in order to focus on routes with greatest volume demand due to the increasing costs caused by the situaiton in the Middle East, resulting in schedule adjustments and (in some cases) cuts at other UK airports.

Who needs "objectivity", "facts" and "context" when you are so -sure about somehting anyway? Objectivity, facts and context are the preserve of Cardiff Airport apologists after all

Unfortunatly, it doesn't end there.

Captain Hindsight also claims that “everyone knows (sic) Qatar was never going to be long term” and that “WestJet will fulfil their obligations to collect the taxpayer subsidies, and drop the route the moment the subsidy ends and they can't sell enough tickets at a high enough price. The aircraft can make more money elsewhere” despite both Cardiff Airport and the Welsh Government confirming on public record that no subsidies, public funding or taxpayer money was used to support the service and have no clue whatsoever how much money WestJet aircraft are making there or anywhere else. His in-depth knowledge of the north American outbound tourism industry just adds to his apparent expertise of absolutely everything.

With that level of hubris, not to mention self-assured “gob-shiteness” on public display, the next pile of horse droppings proved without doubt that opinions are indeed like arseholes. Everyone has them, but its often best not to air them in public in case they make you look silly.

Nevertheless, lets look at Captain Hindsight’s assessment of the world:

"1. Had the public spat with Ryanair which led to them pulling out and going all-in on Bristol for over a decade"
- Is there any airport or airport authority that hasn’t had a public spat with Ryanair and not learned the hard way that they need Ryanair more than Ryanair needs them?

"2. Failed to secure Go"
- It was a beauty contest between two airports. Granted TBI should have known better owning the birthplace of easyJet, but the low-cost industry was in its infancy and TBI were either naïve, complacent, or more likely both. There were multiple new players entering the market at the time and nobody knew where Go would go. Sadly, the rest, is history.

"3. Failed to secure easyJet"
- Major Goonery didn’t even think of at least Google-ing this one. Go launched at Bristol April 2001, easyJet May 2001. By then both were already in early talks for one to acquire the other before easyJet’ formally announced its acquisition of Go in April 2002. Cardiff may have been in consideration at the time but easyJet already had one eye on the future. Hard to see any other outcome in another beauty contest where Cardiff was essentially already at a disadvantage. As easyJet got bigger and competitors came and went elsewhere, they were never going to come to Cardiff to serve part of the same market.

"4. Put all its eggs in the BMI Baby basket when it was never really a major competitor to the other LCCs"
- It gets worse. BMI Baby were a major competitor in the low-cost market until the credit crunch accelerated its demise. As for “eggs in a basket”, were we dreaming at the time or did Thomsonfly, XL, Air Wales, BA Citiexpress, Zoom and Air Southwest never fly from Cardiff Airport while BMI Baby were in residence?

"5. Invested massively in the Fly-be jet base thing a decade ago and lost out"
- Lost out how? The Flybe story of success and subsequent failure is well documented. The airline was a major player in the industry but as costs increased its business model and reliance on investment from airports such as Cardiff, Southampton, Exeter, Belfast City and Jersey just wasn’t enough. After the initial deals and incentive came to an end and the opertation started to mature, the new money on the table was never enough and the nails in the coffin became more and more apparent. Yes it proved to be a costly "mistake" in hindsight but the base served Cardiff Airport and its passenegrs well at the time. Nobody knew that the world economy was about to hit the skids in more ways that one which ultimately laid bare the shaky foundations quite a few airlines were indeed built on. Fast forward half a decade and even airlines as successful as easyJet and IAG are feeling the effects of a never improving economy.

"6. Failed to secure Jet2"
- Another beauty contest. Yes it was a blow but money talks. Bristol won. sh*t happens. Bigger airports have more leverage than ever. Such is life sadly.

Granted our take above stems from our own particular levels of hubris and armchair expertise, albeit we hope in the company of more informed individuals here. Yet, to present a half-baked, almost fact-free and ignorant assessment of “failings”, most of which having occurred over 20 years ago under private ownership, smacks of a weird and desperate need to throw another shitty stick at anything to do with Cardiff Airport.

Some people shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a keyboard. Its an assessment as unhinged as it is sad.

We can only hope Wales Online or Valley Times don’t see it. They’ll no doubt print it unedited as an opinion piece from an industry expert.