Cardiff Airport - General Thread

[Jerry]

I couldn't agree more. Differing days allow more number of nights' holidays, even more so if passengers were to book with different carriers...

But beggars can't be choosers...

Hopefully over time the airline's will add more frequency!

 

[Jerry]

Cardiff Airports route network for peak summer 2022 and the airlines that operate on those routes. Subject to change.
Aircraft types that we could see are 737 800 from Ryanair and TUI, Embraer E145 from Loganair, E175 and E190 from KLM, A320 and A321 from Vueling and BH Air and A321neo from Wizz. (Edited this to remove Eastern, fingers crossed i'll get to add Belfast again).
Britain and Ireland
Dublin 4 weekly (flights Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday) Ryanair
Edinburgh 6 weekly (no flight Saturdays) Loganair
The Netherlands
Amsterdam 13 weekly KLM
France
Paris Orly 3 weekly (flights Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday) Vueling
Portugal
Faro 4 weekly flights (flights on Tuesday and Saturday) Ryanair and Wizz
Spain
Alicante 10 weekly Vueling, TUI and Wizz
Ibiza 3 weekly (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) TUI
Malaga 7 weekly (no flights Monday and Friday) Vueling, Ryanair and TUI
Menorca 2 weekly (Monday and Friday) TUI
Palma de Mallorca 10 weekly (no flights Monday) TUI, Vueling and Wizz
Reus 1 weekly (Tuesday) TUI
Canary Islands
Lanzarote 2 weekly (Sunday and Thursday) TUI
Gran Canaria 1 weekly (Saturday) TUI
Tenerife 6 weekly (no flights Sunday, Thursday and Saturday) TUI and Wizz
Bulgaria
Bourgas 3 weekly (Monday, Thursday and Saturday) TUI and BH Air
Cyprus
Larnaca 3 weekly (Sunday and Thursday) TUI and Wizz
Paphos 2 weekly (Sunday and Wednesday) TUI
Croatia
Dubrovnik 1 weekly (Thursday) TUI
Greece
Corfu 4 weekly (Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday) TUI and Wizz
Crete Heraklion 4 weekly (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday) TUI and Wizz
Kefalonia 1 weekly (Tuesday) TUI
Kos 2 weekly (Wednesday and Saturday) TUI
Rhodes 2 weekly (Wednesday and Saturday) TUI
Zante 2 weekly (Tuesday and Friday) TUI
Tunisia
Enfidha Hammamet 1 weekly (Friday) TUI
Turkey
Antalya 2 weekly (Monday and Thursday) TUI
Dalaman 3 weekly (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) TUI

 

[Jerry]

Lee Waters MS effectively the de-facto transport minister was on Sharp End last night and was asked about the Anglesey route and said they still haven't made a decision on the route and are still discussing it. Hopefully we'll get a decision about it's future soon.

Sharp End, May 16th

As train timetables move back to pre-pandemic levels in Wales, is public transport back on track?

www.itv.com

 

[Jerry]

TUI holidaymakers delayed more than 40 hours at Cardiff Airport in chaotic scenes​

Hundreds of frustrated passengers have been left stranded at the airport and been put up in hotels for two nights

This is only an approximation of what winter 2022/23 could look like from Cardiff Airport as some airlines aren't onsale so i've made an educated guess on what their schedule could look like. For the others i've gone from the 1st week of December. I haven't included Eastern because i have my doubts they will be operating from the airport in the future. Hopefully airlines will add more routes and flights.
Just to summarise winter 2022/23 could see 2 based aircraft at the airport, 1 overnighting aircraft, 12 destinations, 59 weekly departures, 17,926 seats onsale.
TUI 1 based 737 8
5 routes 9 weekly departures 3402 seats
Lanzarote 2 weekly
Malaga 1 weekly
Alicante 2 weekly
Gran Canaria 1 weekly
Tenerife 3 weekly
Wizz Air 1 based A321?
6 routes 14 weekly departures 6440 seats (5040 if an A320 is used)
Larnaca 2 weekly
Sharm el Sheikh 2 weekly
Faro 2 weekly
Alicante 2 weekly
Lanzarote 3 weekly
Tenerife 3 weekly
Loganair E145
1 route 6 weekly departures 588 seats
Edinburgh 6 weekly
KLM E175 & E190
1 route 20 weekly departures 3664 seats
Amsterdam 20 weekly
Ryanair 737 8 (this is a assumption that next winter will be the same as this)
1 route 4 weekly departures 1512 seats
Dublin 4 weekly
Vueling A320/A321 ((this is a assumption that next winter will be the same as this)
3 routes 6 weekly departures 2320 seats
Alicante 2 weekly
Malaga 2 weekly
Paris Orly 2 weekly

* Updated 26/5/22
This is only an approximation of what winter 2022/23 could look like from Cardiff Airport as some airlines aren't onsale so i've made an educated guess on what their schedule could look like. For the others i've gone from the 1st week of December. I haven't included Eastern because i have my doubts they will be operating from the airport in the future. Hopefully airlines will add more routes and flights.
Just to summarise winter 2022/23 could see 2 based aircraft at the airport, 1 overnighting aircraft, 12 destinations, 58 weekly departures, 17,466 seats onsale.
TUI 1 based 737 8
5 routes 9 weekly departures 3402 seats
Lanzarote 2 weekly
Malaga 1 weekly
Alicante 2 weekly
Gran Canaria 1 weekly
Tenerife 3 weekly
Wizz Air 1 based A321?
6 routes 14 weekly departures 6440 seats (5040 if an A320 is used)
Larnaca 2 weekly
Sharm el Sheikh 2 weekly
Faro 2 weekly
Alicante 2 weekly
Lanzarote 3 weekly
Tenerife 3 weekly
Loganair E145
1 route 6 weekly departures 588 seats
Edinburgh 6 weekly
KLM E175 & E190
1 route 20 weekly departures 3664 seats
Amsterdam 20 weekly
Ryanair 737 8
1 route 4 weekly departures 1512 seats
Dublin 4 weekly
Vueling A320
3 routes 5 weekly departures 1860 seats
Alicante 3 weekly
Malaga 2 weekly

 

[Jerry]

Looking ahead to winter and Alicante should be a healthy route with 7 weekly flights between 3 airlines, Vueling, Wizz and TUI and departures on 4 days of the week.
All 3 airlines will have departures on Tuesdays. TUI at 06.50, Wizz at 12.10 and Vueling at 13.00. Vueling will have flights on Fridays at 16.05 and Sundays at 12.45 while TUI and Wizz will have departures on Saturdays at 06.00 and 12.10.

 

[geoff]

I have read on the other forum, that Norse Atlantic 787 are flying into CWL at about 3pm today, routing from Newquay to Gatwick, the first ever Norse flight into Gatwick.

 

[Jerry]

I have read on the other forum, that Norse Atlantic 787 are flying into CWL at about 3pm today, routing from Newquay to Gatwick, the first ever Norse flight into Gatwick.

Apparently it's due in at midday.

 

[Jerry]

"While the airport does remain under Government ownership, they need to prioritise securing new routes, especially to more short-haul EU destinations, in addition to securing long-haul routes which currently don’t exist after Qatar Airways exit from the airport."
Do they seriously not think that isn't what the airport is trying to do? That the route development team are on some permanent holiday or something? Do they think these things can magically appear because the Welsh government says so?

Cardiff Airport has become a 'black hole of taxpayers' money' say Lib Dems

Cardiff Airport has become a “black hole of taxpayers’ money” that has never met the Welsh Government’s own targets for passenger numbers, the Liberal Democrats have said. Figures released by the Welsh Government today show that passenger numbers at the airport continued to decline in 2021 from...

nation.cymru

 

[Jerry]

With the Lib Dems recently complaining about the passenger numbers at Cardiff Airport i'd thought i'd compare April 2019 with April 2022 routes and passenger wise.
In April 2019 the total passengers that used the airport was 126,274 in April 2022 it was 54,334.
In April 2019 the airport operated 6 domestic routes, in 2022 the airport operates 1 domestic route.
In April 2019 domestic passengers that travelled through the terminal on scheduled services came to 21,282 passengers, in April 2022 1847 passengers travelled through the airport.
Internationally in April 2019 the airport operated 29 routes with 104,098 passengers using the airport, in April 2022 the airport operates 12 international routes with 51,825 passengers using the airport.
Since 2019 the airport has lost 5 domestic routes and 91% of it's domestic passengers. Internationally it's lost 17 routes and just 50.3% of it's international passengers.

 

[geoff]

It's easy to complain when you are in opposition, I thought they were in favour of green policies.

 

[Jerry]

It's easy to complain when you are in opposition, I thought they were in favour of green policies.

Yep they are to a certain extent, in the Senedd Plaid are probably the greenest of the parties with their policies but i do think the Lib Dems want Cardiff to succeed but they like most politicians in the Senedd don't seem to understand the problems. I think there is an assumption that everything should be back to normal without realising or understanding the damage that the loss of Flybe, Thomas Cook and the pandemic has done to Cardiff's passenger numbers and route network.

 

[Jerry]

With queues at airports in the news lately it was noted on a social media post that Cardiff's security queue was really quick this morning with 5 departures due out close to each other. Also the Welsh football team was there mixing with the fans and taking selfies. They are playing the Netherlands at the moment.

 

[geoff]

Welsh passengers travelling from bigger and busier airports, should look to travel from their own home airport, they might enjoy their journey a lot more.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

It will take time and hopefully Wizz will persist with growth. The problem is this has been said time and time again and CWL has hit bad luck at every corner.
Interestingly I've noticed a change in opinion when looking at social media posts about the Airport (online articles etc) that there is a bigger appetite to support CWL, especially with Wizz. There will always be negativity on certain Facebook forums from the same old boring trolls that talk out of their backsides.
Posters on here may or may not know about a Facebook group called "Cardiff Airport Flights and Deals". It has only been going for a few months and shows some excellent prices and price comparisons. It now has nearly 3000 followers and 4315 people "like" the page. All of which will get these updates on their Facebook newsfeed. Lots of these are the general public, not just aviation enthusiasts. That will only help build momentum.

 

[Chris Gronow]

That page on facebook is great and credit to who ever set it up, they have done more to promote routes and prices than the airport ever has.

They often show screen shots of price comparisons with Bristol for the same dates and destination with Cardiff the cheaper option and its getting noticed.

 

[geoff]

I agree with you Chris, it was nice to read compliments for the airport, let's hope more people read what's available from the airport. "On the Beach", seem to be using the WIZZ Air flights a lot. that can help towards the possibility of a second based aircraft in the future.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Unfortunately the airport has become a black hole. There is no getting away from it, that is not saying Wales should be without an airport.

Perhaps we should be questioning the management and the strategic thinking of the welsh government and local authorities for lack of the right infrastructure.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Unfortunately the airport has become a black hole. There is no getting away from it, that is not saying Wales should be without an airport.

Perhaps we should be questioning the management and the strategic thinking of the welsh government and local authorities for lack of the right infrastructure.

Maybe it has, but is that down to poor Management or does it have potential just an incredible run of bad luck?

Can you expand on the comment about the lack of right infrastructure and how that effects the Airport?

 

[Jerry]

Have to give credit to the people/person behind the Cardiff Airport Flights and Deals facebook page, they/he/she are doing a great job promoting the airport and reaching people.

Perhaps we should be questioning the management and the strategic thinking of the welsh government and local authorities for lack of the right infrastructure.

I assume that you mean roads and rail? With the former the roads have had some upgrade but due to the location of the airport building a road to the M4 especially has just ended up a losing battle over the years because of local opposition but the roads haven't stopped people using the airport as the airlines have proved there.
As for rail again big undertaking to build rail directly to the airport though it was part of the Masterplan 2040 which involves a new terminal. I do believe it was suggested that the airport rail link be shifted to Barry station in the future but whether at the moment there is the services in place for inbound tourism to warrant such a link and the return of the T9 i'm not sure.

 

[Pontyboy]

The airport has had a long and sustained period of bad luck. No doubt about it in my mind. BMIbaby, Zoom, TUI buying first choice and preferring Bristol. Ryanair fall out. Public perception that Cardiff is an expensive airport for airlines to operate to, massive lack of investment from previous owners and therefore not going out there to win airlines in as there was no real pressure to gain any ROI. Almost all are out of the airports control. The curve is definitely on the up. Although at a small rate.