Cardiff Airport - General Thread

[jfy1999]

Even if they did start I think some of the routes might have operational issues for an E-Jet. Larnaca seems too far away for a start.

 

[Em0866]

It is not clear which aircraft they will be using from this report. I know they have a photograph, but it may have been one chosen at random. Who knows though. All these unanswered questions, including routes, will be made clear one way or another later in the year.

 

[Seasider]

I wouldn't read too much into the photos they use. There are some media sources that use a picture of a B737 for an easyJet article.

 

[jfy1999]

That isn't so ridiculous seeing as EZY used to operate them, as long as the picture was an EZY 737

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It is not clear which aircraft they will be using from this report. I know they have a photograph, but it may have been one chosen at random. Who knows though. All these unanswered questions, including routes, will be made clear one way or another later in the year.

The picture used by Wales Online to illustrate its Speedairways article is an Embraer marketing photo of its E 190.

It might well be a random selection because the type that Speedairways might use is not mentioned at all in the puzzling article.

 

[Ray Finkle]

An interesting read.

Welsh government loans to airport 'could breach rules'

Multi-million pound Welsh government loans to Cardiff Airport may break European state aid rules, UK government officials have warned.

The airport received a £10m loan to improve its terminal and the Welsh government has also agreed a further £13m loan for route development.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-34188588

 

[TheLocalYokel]

There was comment about this from some quarters at the time the loans were announced.

The Wales Assembly Government is loaning the money to the airport company (which it owns).

I suspect that serious legal advice was obtained before embarking on the process.

 

[User001]

Cardiff finally gets its much sought after Dubai flights. Problem is, it's only 3 flights and for a Thomson Cruise.

The flights will be in December 2016:

http://press.thomson.co.uk/dubai-named- ... uise-ship/

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Anything expected for the Rugby?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Cardiff finally gets its much sought after Dubai flights. Problem is, it's only 3 flights and for a Thomson Cruise.

The flights will be in December 2016:

Now this is extremely promising news for CWL.

Anything expected for the Rugby?

I posted this in the CWL CAA stats thread recently. Ryanair (especially) and Vueling have laid on numerous flights for the rugby union world cup matches at the Millenium Stadium.

Thinking further about this, September and October will be skewed from the norm (in a very positive way) because of the Rugby World Cup. Group fixtures at the Millennium will be:

19 Sept Ireland v Canada
20 Sept Wales v Uruguay
23 Sept Australia v Fiji
1 October Wales v Fiji
2 October New Zealand v Georgia
11 October France v Ireland

17 October Quarter Final
18 October Quarter Final

I typed the matches involving France and Ireland in bold as they are likely to bring tens of thousands of supporters from afar, many of whom will arrive via CWL.

The Quarter Finals may also be a bonanza for CWL depending on which countries are involved. As the winners and runners-up of Groups C and D will feature it seems pretty certain that France and Ireland will appear again playing against probably New Zealand and Argentina.

Incidentally, from a rugby perspective Group A appears to be a group of death with England, Wales and Australia all chasing two quarter final places.


I was at Bristol Airport today and numerous Irish rugby fans were in evidence making their way to Cardiff for tomorrow's Ireland v Canada match, so goodness knows how many will be travelling through CWL.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

So possibly a very interesting spotting time at CWL? I live in RCT under the airway over south wales, so with any luck some good stuff should come over and should be lower than the normal airways.

E.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

So possibly a very interesting spotting time at CWL? I live in RCT under the airway over south wales, so with any luck some good stuff should come over and should be lower than the normal airways.

It ought to be, especially with France as all sorts of airlines tend to turn up when France visits Wales in the Six Nations. The bulk of the Irish supporters may use Ryanair who will be putting on numerous flights to CWL at the time Ireland matches are on at the Millennium.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Courtesy of SWAG - CWL has had a few extra flights in to day in the shape of Aer Lingus A320/A321s and some Ryanair B738s.

E.

 

[Em0866]

The news on the cruise flights to UAE for 2016/17 is excellent news. I do wonder, however, if it is at a cost of the Caribbean cruise flights from CWL. I hope that is not the case but I am sure all will become more clear in time.

 

[marsh.ger]

Thomson have an additional cruise ship (Thomson Discovery) joining in June 2016 so maybe Dubai will be an addition. Also some of the Thomson departures from CWL are on behalf of P&O Cruises.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Welsh Government will not sell-off its controlling stake in Cardiff Airport

First Minister Carwyn Jones has said the Welsh Government will not give away control of Cardiff Airport.

The Welsh Labour leader told AMs they will look to sell shares in the airport in time but that it would not be fully sold off – a move called for by the Conservatives.[/textarea]

Full article at http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/polit ... g-10495930

The First Minister made his comments in answer to a Conservative Assembly Member's question concerning the opinion of the retiring airport company chairman (Lord Rowe-Beddoe) that CWL should be returned to the private sector in five years.

Mr Jones went on to say that in time they would sell shares in the airport to private investors but the Wales Assembly Government (WAG) would retain a controlling interest. He pointed to the fact that "the airport is now 10% up in terms of passenger figures compared to last year" as evidence of what governments can do for airports; it's actually 7.5% up but let's allow a politician a bit of exaggeration in making a point, something most of them do.

The First Minister has regularly changed his tune with regard to the airport's future ownership. Just before Christmas 2012 when the news broke that the WAG was in advanced negotiations to purchase the airport the FM told a Radio Wales interviewer that the WAG would find a private sector partner that would share in profits with the government but would bear any losses in their entirety. I can picture the interviewer with her mouth gaping open wondering if this was some form of festive joke. I heard this interview and using the vernacular I was gobsmacked.

Then again a few months later he told the press that the A 380 could fly anywhere from the CWL runway (less than 2,400 metres long). It was about this time that he said that CWL should be looking to emulate the likes of Bristol and Southampton airports (one over 6 mppa and the other less than 2 mppa so which was it he was looking at?) and that within a decade CWL would be handling more passengers than BRS.

Unsurprisingly no private sector partner could be found with a village idiot label around its neck so the FM's next tactic was to find a private sector partner that would share equally in everything at the airport.

That hasn't worked either so now it's a case (of sometime in the future) finding private investors for minority interests in the airport.

He does make one fair point in my opinion which is that if the WAG had not purchased the airport its future might well have been extremely uncertain. If the airport does eventually return to profit I can understand why he wants his tax payers to benefit but a resurgent CWL would command a purchase price that ought to do this anyway..................if the WAG is able to get the airport into that position (there may well be a lot of debt that a buyer would have to take on board - debt owed to the WAG).

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's a very special day on Monday, lots happening, follow our social accounts for updates from 0730am. It's going to be very....purple!

This has appeared on the CWL Twitter page during the past few days.

It seems that the new CWL-MAN Flybe route will be announced but there is all sorts of conjecture on a Wales aviation message board as to what else might be announced or occur, or both.

 

[Em0866]

Yes I have read a lot of the "theories" from various posters on that forum, some sensible and others.....well, say no more. As I've said on the Flybe thread here, it will be positive whatever they have planned from tomorrow at 7.30am! It's a shame I have to go to work as I won't get any updates until I get home tomorrow evening!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Lots of cups of coffee on offer too apparently. No good for me though as I'm a tea drinker and never touch coffee.

Let's hope that it's something positive in terms of airlines (Flybe MAN seems certain) and not something else no matter how worthy for the airport.

 

[Em0866]

I'm with you on the coffee front...no good me showing up for a freebie tomorrow then HAHA!

It seems a blaze of publicity for the announcement of just one route, unless they will also readvertise their other routes too. We'll know tomorrow though and all the speculation will be over