Cardiff: General Airport Discussion & Updates

[Jerry]

They need to promote Wales better abroad and in the long term attract higher paid skilled occupations to the area, the latter has been in reversal in recent years with the closure of Fords and cancellation of Ineos. Working from
Home will reduce business travels so prospects for CWL do not look good.

It'll be the leisure part that recovers first. TUI, Ryanair and Vueling will be the key to recovery for the airport.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

It'll be the leisure part that recovers first. TUI, Ryanair and Vueling will be the key to recovery for the airport.

Not the same without Qatar or Flybe, i bet KLM’s passenger numbers will be down too.

 

[Jerry]

Not the same without Qatar or Flybe, i bet KLM’s passenger numbers will be down too.

But it's still the base for the airports revenue. If the evidence has that's been shown is correct it's evident that essentially the Flybe routes were loss leaders at the time. KLM no doubt will take time to recover as a lot of their traffic was business orientated and no doubt the same with Qatar Airways.
Unfortunate as well the WG doesn't have the ability to cut or scrap APD to help with the airports recovery and I can't see the WG writing out big cheques to the airport or airlines pre election especially with the Tories now saying that the money spent on the airport is a waste. The recovery will take a while and sadly I do think that my hope for routes like Dublin and Edinburgh to be back in 2021 might have been a bit to hopeful.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

The airport will likely need to diversify itself until passenger number resumes.

there are plenty of ways to try and generate income by being popular for training / trans Atlantic fuel stops / military etc.

unfortunately there are many other airports also looking to do the same so airport needs to stand out.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

To be fair, if you include st athan now it is done in some of those ways (flight school, aston martin, Cardiff Av, Ecube, SWAM museum, BAMC)

 

[Jerry]

Massively disappointing and concerning news considering Jet2 opening a base at Bristol. As if CWLs recovery didn't have enough problems there's now a new aggressive airline setting up that'll no doubt go after the passengers of Cardiffs biggest airline TUI at a time of reduced demand. Not to mention the massive PR damage it'll have on the airport. Cardiff can't really catch a break can it?

 

[Nuffsaid]

CWL is finished as a passenger airport.

 

[Jerry]

CWL is finished as a passenger airport.

I think that's a bit of an over reaction.

 

[Jerry]

CWL is finished as a passenger airport.

I think we just have to hope that it's Easyjet and Ryanair and TUI passengers from Wales that use Bristol that are the passengers attracted by Jet2 and not so much passengers that use Cardiff.

 

[Nuffsaid]

Jet2 would have been quite a lift for CWL, it was the last of the big players in holiday aviation and would have allowed it to attract many passengers from across the bridge. That is now not going to happen. The only remaining firm is Wizz which is already at BRS. Other than TUI, which company will touch the airport? If CWL cannot even secure trunk routes to Dublin, Paris or Edinburgh it is finished. The WAG cannot keep using tax payers money to keep the airport afloat.
The airports last throw of the dice will be to shift to cargo and be designated a main customs entry point into the U.K. That’s not an overreaction, that is merely a dose of realism.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Its a complete overreaction and jumping the gun. We don't know what's going to happen yet with Qatar. TUI will face some tough competition but can see the 3 summer based aircraft still staying. KLM will eventually build back up to previous 3 daily. Vueling will likely remain as they are. Who knows what Ryanair next move will be with Jet2 moving in.
Eventually the domestic routes will return once everything covid related settles down

Everything was going in the right direction prior to covid, tcx and flybe.
There are other Airports still going with much lower passenger figures.

More diversification is needed but it can't be all doom and gloom.

 

[geoff]

I note on the other forum, a contributor stating that CWL was finished as an airport, there will come a time when BRS will be unable to cope with ever increasing numbers, or will be prevented from doing so. I agree with Foxlimayankee that it is disappointing but not all doom and gloom. There are some people who seem to delight in seeing CWL going through hard times, all airports are struggling.

 

[Jerry]

With more competition at Bristol we could see more focus on Cardiff by TUI and Ryanair in the future as they get squeezed at Bristol.
As for the trunk routes I'm sure they'll come back eventually especially when business demand picks up.
It is disappointing and may well slow down CWLs recovery but the airport will live on.

 

[Jerry]

The one big problem I can see for Cardiff with the Jet2 announcement is pr wise. It'll look like Bristol got the jump on them again. The airport does really need some positive pr to counteract that.

 

[Silvercity]

With more competition at Bristol we could see more focus on Cardiff by TUI and Ryanair in the future as they get squeezed at Bristol.
As for the trunk routes I'm sure they'll come back eventually especially when business demand picks up.
It is disappointing and may well slow down CWLs recovery but the airport will live on.

I hope CWL receive some good news soon

 

[Jerry]

I hope CWL receive some good news soon

It would be nice! It definitely needs some good pr as things are hysterically negative at the moment and I wouldn't be surprised if a question about Jet2 gets asked in the Senedd or it ends up on some political memes online.

 

[Em0866]

I see this as a replacement at Bristol from Thomas Cook...it is just filling the gap from their departure. There were also flights with Thomas Cook from Cardiff too so I think it is too early at this stage to be doom an gloom for CWL. Who knows what could happen over the winter months. We'll just have to sit and wait it out.

 

[Jerry]

I would be very surprised if Jet2 copied Thomas Cook and opened a 1 aircraft seasonal base at Cardiff. If they ever did I'd expect it to be a proper 2 to 3 aircraft base but to be honest I expect Jet2 to be like Easyjet and ignore Cardiff and build Bristol to between a 6 to 10 aircraft base.
Cardiff will need to focus on TUI and Ryanair and Vueling to try and get the TCX capacity replaced.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

A similar question was asked about EXT vis-a-vis Jet2 at BRS. That poster is hoping that any squeeze on TUI or Ryanair at BRS will benefit EXT (as it might benefit CWL).

I think that Jerry is right when he says that CWL's recovery might be slowed down but all airports have taken huge hits and the pre-pandemic projections at all have been slowed down. Perversely the pandemic has actually been helpful to BRS in a couple of ways in that it would have been at or close to its 10 mppa cap by the end of next year and, with the outcome of its appeal probably not determined by then, would have faced the prospect of seeing airlines having to look elsewhere for growth in south-west Britain. It's also highly likely that there would have been no room at BRS for Jet 2 in those circumstances.

BRS now has more time although if it ultimately loses its appeal it will still face a situation in a few years when it will be maxed out at 10 mppa. When that will be obviously depends on the rate of recovery post-pandemic.

 

[Jerry]

Summary of what so far is available for Summer 2021 from Cardiff. Sample from a week in August
UK and Ireland
Anglesey 10 weekly Eastern Airways
Belfast City 6 weekly Eastern Airways
Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands
Palma de Mallorca 9 weekly flights TUI and Vueling
Malaga 9 weekly flights Vueling, Ryanair and TUI
Alicante 8 weekly flights Vueling and TUI
Faro 3 weekly flights Ryanair and TUI
Ibiza 3 weekly flights TUI
Menorca 2 weekly flights TUI
Tenerife 2 weekly flights TUI
Lanzarote 2 weekly flights TUI
Gran Canaria 1 weekly flight TUI
Reus 1 weekly flight TUI
Greece, Cyprus and other European destinations
Amsterdam 20 weekly flights KLM
Rhodes 2 weekly flights TUI
Kos 2 weekly flights TUI
Corfu 2 weekly flights TUI
Paphos 2 weekly flights TUI
Zante 2 weekly flights TUI
Bourgas 1 weekly flight TUI
Larnaca 1 weekly flight TUI
Heraklion 1 weekly flight TUI
Keffalonia 1 weekly flight TUI
Dubrovnik 1 weekly flight TUI
Turkey, Tunisia and Qatar
Dalaman 3 weekly flights TUI
Antalya 2 weekly flights TUI
Enfidha 1 weekly flight TUI
Doha 7 weekly flights Qatar Airways

In total so far there will be up to 102 weekly departures for Summer 2021 of course this is all subject to change.