Cardiff Airport - General Thread

[geoff]

I have been an observer on this forum for a long time, but didn't join because I was with WAN and WAF. I too am a WW2 baby, and first flew from CWL nearly 50 years ago.

 

[Matthew Davies]

Hi Guys. New member here, il get straight into it. Has anyone else heard about the routes that Ken Skates was looking into. Manchester Aberdeen etc? And what do other members think about the potential with these routes? Thanks.

 

[Jerry]

Hi Guys. New member here, il get straight into it. Has anyone else heard about the routes that Ken Skates was looking into. Manchester Aberdeen etc? And what do other members think about the potential with these routes? Thanks.

Welcome to Forum4airports Matthew!
At the moment there hasn't been any news about it. Personally I'd be surprised if the UK government did devolve APD any time soon. Routes like Aberdeen and Glasgow that were mentioned are already operated from the airport though granted transatlantic flights are cheaper than the Aberdeen flight sometimes!
If Cardiff is get new domestic routes then i can only think that they would look at Yorkshire for business connectivity and maybe Inverness for leisure but it would all depend on whether Flybe would be willing to base a 4th aircraft.

 

[Jerry]

Edinburgh is easily the second most popular UK city destination for overseas visitors after London. How much this is the result of air connectivity is always arguable. These were the UK's top 20 towns/cities for overseas visits in 2017.

It may not be the be all and end all but I've no doubt greater air connectivity with the rest of Europe and direct flights to the US does help bring in extra tourists to Scotland and i also think them having a bigger profile as a country in it's own right helps them as well.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Hi Guys. New member here, il get straight into it. Has anyone else heard about the routes that Ken Skates was looking into. Manchester Aberdeen etc? And what do other members think about the potential with these routes? Thanks.

I extend my welcome to you too, Matthew. I hope you will become a regular contributor.

The WG's idea for extending its PSO route portfolio is an imaginative way of trying to dispose of air passenger duty. Of course, it's not simply a case of deciding that Route A or B will do and then going ahead. The EU's PSO regulations are many and complex, and the lack of European Court of Justice case law on the subject prompted the European Commission to issue lengthy guide lines just over a year ago. I shan't wade through the entire list but have picked out some of the more pertinent ones:

+ PSO routes may only imposed upon routes considered vital for the economic and social development of the region (Wales in this case).

+ There are two types of PSO route: routes to a peripheral or development region; 'thin' routes - generally those routes carrying less than 100,000 passengers a year.

+ PSOs can only be imposed where other modes of transport cannot meet the transport needs of the region concerned. Account should be particularly taken of train routes and, if frequency and timings are judged to be adequate, a competing rail route of under three hours duration is generally taken to be sufficient.

+ There can be en route stops but each sector has to be considered on its merits as to whether it justifies PSO status.

+ There can be no 'bundling' of routes where access to one is dependent upon the service of another.

Earlier this summer the WG's transport secretary, Ken Skates, announced that he was considering the following routes from CWL for PSO status: London, Manchester, Leeds-Bradford, Humberside, Inverness, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Newquay, Norwich.

GLA and ABZ are already operating commercially but Mr Skates indicated that a PSO route would be non-stop to ABZ and of increased frequency to GLA.

The PSO contract would be for four years and would be exclusive to the airline winning the particular route contract. Apart from the removal of air passenger duty there would be no subsidies other than a 'modest' (his word) marketing budget. He believes there might be sufficient interest to take up some if not all the routes but that would not be known for certain until the public tender process takes place.

Many believe that Flybe would be the likely favourite assuming the routes were thought to be viable for any airline.

Given the under three-hour rail competition 'rule' I can't see how they would get around this for London, especially with electrification soon to speed up the journey even more. Manchester is marginal vis-a-vis rail.

Mr Skates says that, where practical, he wants to ensure that travellers at both ends of the route can achieve a day's work. This must mean at least a morning and evening rotation. There must surely then be a need for more than one aircraft (and more than one PSO carrier?) if most of the routes are to be serviced, otherwise there will be middle of the day rotations which will fail to bring about his aim, although I note the term 'where practical'.

Assuming all or some of his routes pass muster, both legally and commercially, his last comment that I read was for a March 2019 commencement.

 

[geoff]

Does anyone know if the WAF website has closed down. I haven't been able to log into it foe several days, I know that Mathers said sometime ago he would not be renewing the fee, just wondering if it has ended, he worked very hard to keep it going.

 

[Jerry]

Does anyone know if the WAF website has closed down. I haven't been able to log into it foe several days, I know that Mathers said sometime ago he would not be renewing the fee, just wondering if it has ended, he worked very hard to keep it going.

It does look like it. I've not been able to get into for several days. I just get a can't find warning coming up. It's a shame as it used to be a good site and i enjoyed chatting on there.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Does anyone know if the WAF website has closed down. I haven't been able to log into it foe several days, I know that Mathers said sometime ago he would not be renewing the fee, just wondering if it has ended, he worked very hard to keep it going.

It does look like it. I've not been able to get into for several days. I just get a can't find warning coming up. It's a shame as it used to be a good site and i enjoyed chatting on there.

I've not been able to access the site either. Each time I try I'm confronted with a glum-faced emoticon with the message, Uh oh. We're actively troubleshooting this issue, for more information please contact support.

Clicking on the Support Center (sic) button doesn't help as it seems geared to people actually running websites. It's always a shame when aviation web sites close down but we of course have to recognise the harsh realities of financing them.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Qatar Airways Doha to Cardiff trip report will be out in two weeks time, for those interested!

 

[TOM100]

My niece is considering a job with Swissport - does anyone here know how they are to work for ? Sorry slight drift....,

 

[Red Flyer]

Very good as long as she doesn’t mind an easy life because it’s very easy

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

Very good as long as she doesn’t mind an easy life because it’s very easy

Working for Swissport or any handling agent is like Marmite, you wither love it or hate it. Certainly one thing i have discovered is that you can get a similar style role with Arriva and pay is much better along with better progression prospects.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

I've not been able to access the site either. Each time I try I'm confronted with a glum-faced emoticon with the message, Uh oh. We're actively troubleshooting this issue, for more information please contact support.

Clicking on the Support Center (sic) button doesn't help as it seems geared to people actually running websites. It's always a shame when aviation web sites close down but we of course have to recognise the harsh realities of financing them.

Hi All,

Thank you for your concerns regarding the website. The website itself should have about 6 months to run, I think the issue maybe the URL domain which has expired.

Personally I don't have the time I once used to and certainly rather spend the money elsewhere these days rather than financing the website myself.

I haven't had the opportunity yet to look into if this is a domain issue or yet another problem with the web service provider.

There is far better quality of discussion on here anyhow.

 

[Tinkerman]

Hearing that there will be some more good news for Summer 2019. Things are looking positive.

 

[Jerry]

Hearing that there will be some more good news for Summer 2019. Things are looking positive.

That's good! From one of our current airlines? Or potentially a new one? Or not airline related at all?

 

[Bcn_boy]

Any idea of when the news will be released?

 

[TOM100]

What’s the source of this ‘more good news’ ?

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Regarding WAF, it was once a great source of valid discussion and debate, and I have no doubt it had a contributing factor to helping CWL, whether it be from member support or promoting and supporting CWL in it's turnaround. I would like to thank Mathers and his colleagues that set it up, maintained and support it through time and money, as well as the other members on the original WAN. I too however agree that it has lost it's way and a lot of posts on there are duplicated from here, Pprune, Facebook and other forums. I find each occasionally has a slightly different topic of discussion, but generally it's reposts of the exact same topics in a number of different place. Can totally understand if it's not viable to run anymore.

Interesting to hear some more good news on the way! Any hints?

 

[Jerry]

Cardiff Airport autism scheme helps a 5 year old fly.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45162057

 

[Jerry]

News

13 August
Cardiff Airport launches new Meet and Greet service


Following recently unveiled improvements to Cardiff Airport’s terminal facilities, a brand new car parking feature has been launched that will add even more ease to customers’ journey through the Airport.

Meet & Greet is a car parking service that offers customers a more personal touch and many benefits linked to taking the stress out of travel. Priced competitively and in line with our other car park products, it has been introduced following the recent passenger growth at Cardiff Airport and complements recent improvements to the terminal, which include a brand new departures area overlooking the airfield, two Costa Coffee outlets and a brand new 51° Executive lounge and Business Lounge.

Meet & Greet customers pre-book their vehicle online and on arrival at the Airport, follow signs and drive straight into the designated Meet & Greet zone. The latest technology digitally processes the vehicle, checking in the booking and takes a series of digital images so that the state of the vehicle is recorded on arrival and guaranteed for the duration of the customer’s stay.

Then, simply drop off car keys at the reception, which is located directly opposite the terminal, and head straight to check–in. Our trusted team members park the vehicle in a safe and secure on-site location, where it remains throughout the trip.

Deb Barber, CEO of Cardiff Airport, said: “Our commitment at Cardiff Airport is to offer customers an enjoyable and memorable experience, and this is reflected in the many improvements made over the last year. This new Meet & Greet service takes all of the stress out of airport parking and, using the latest technology and personal service, our customers can jet off knowing their vehicle is safe and secure in our care.”

Designed in partnership with specialists Excel Parking Services Ltd, the new product will revolutionise the customer experience at Cardiff Airport.

Alun Cockroft, Commercial Director of Excel Parking Services Ltd, said: “We are delighted to have been working with Cardiff Airport over the past 12 months, in association with our technology partner ANPR International, the new Meet & Greet service will set the standard for other airports to aspire in regards to a truly customer focused service which offers the highest standards and convenience to the Airport passenger.”

To book Meet & Greet parking at Cardiff Airport, visit the website https://www.cardiff-airport.com/meet-and-greet-1

https://www.cardiff-airport.com/news/2018/08/13/cardiff-airport-launches-new-meet-and-greet-service/