Cardiff Airport - General Thread

[Jerry]

From such a rotten media group? I’d have expected nothing less. Plus there’s so many incorrect facts. But people still read tripe…

I think some of it decent but the problem articles like this are there for clicks and too create reaction. But some of the article is too simplistic and doesn't really do much analysis of the challenges that Cardiff Airport faces and the reasons why. In all these articles it's never questioned why Easyjet doesn't operate from Cardiff. Why airlines are happy for Welsh passengers to travel to England. Why Wales tourism industry isn't strong enough to support inbound tourist routes. What's stopping the cargo side of the business developing. What on effect Wales economy and as a country not having an airport would have.

I do find it ironic that their people on social media that want the Welsh government to support all sorts of fanciful social and economic policies and other transport infrastructure projects yet would be quite happy to see Wales without an international airport in many cases to be an independent country without an international airport.

And let's not forget they'd be happy to see 2500 jobs connected to the airport go.

 

[Pontyboy]

The only way Cardiff will be a successful airport isn’t exactly in its control. Yes we talk about outbound travel and if Ryanair did launch 5-10 routes that would be fantastic, never mind a base. IMO not enough emphasis is on inbound travel to Wales. Visit Wales / WAG need to do more to enhance Cardiff and wales an international destination. Granted there aren’t enough hotels in beauty spots and the capital but Wales PLC doesn’t shout loud enough how good Wales could be as a tourist hotspot. Needs to be part of a wider transport strategy to make getting around Wales via public transport easier and investment is needed for good quality 4/5 star hotels and decent accommodation in beauty spots/coastal/mountains and cities.

 

[Chris Gronow]

Another positive article

BBC News - Wizz Air: Cardiff Airport in wrong place, says ex-airline boss

Wizz Air: Cardiff Airport in wrong place, says ex-airline boss

No-one in their "right mind" would invest in Cardiff Airport, says ex-BMI Baby boss David Bryon.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Kevin Farnell]

I can't see that having the sea to one side of the airport should cause any problems, with regard to passenger numbers. It doesn't seem to effect the likes of LAX, SFO or plenty of other busy airports around the world. Possibly if it was east or north east of Cardiff may give it a better chance of getting passengers from further afield (especially if it were adjacent to the M4), but it is where it is.
I hope things work out for CWL and other airlines come in to take over the lost routes. The thought of one of the capital cities of a UK nation not having an airport is unbelievable.

 

[Jerry]

He mentions Bristol but that's not exactly in an easy place to get too either! But having airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair there attracts the passengers. And if Cardiff is so bad why does seem to work for TUI? KLM? And Ryanair seem to be expanding. Surely none of those airlines should be operating from Cardiff? So why does it work for them but not other airlines?

 

[MrFenner]

As I said on the other forum, what he’s saying in this article is if you’re an airport near the sea you have no hope…

(notably DSA was nowhere near the sea!)

 

[Nuffsaid]

All this from the ex-boss of a failed airline.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

It's badly worded. He's referring to catchment. Cardiff only has a catchment to the west, north and east because to the south is water, and that catchment isn't very dense.

Bristol has a catchment from the North, East, South and Southwest, which also happens to be much bigger and more affluent.

Interestingly a conversation about Bristol stand parking is expected to see 36 aircraft this summer, with only 32-34 stands available and little space for further expansion. That possibly could work in favour of CWL for Airlines that can't operate from other bases, or have limited option to.

 

[geoff]

Another factor in favour of CWL is that it has a much better weather record than many other bigger airports, and has for many years taken diverted aircraft, from airports further inland.

 

[Jerry]

I suppose we can only hope that the competition at BRS gets so fierce that airline's look for other options in the SW Britain area!

But I do wonder if the 'dream' of a based LCC may well be dead and the focus be on away based flights instead.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

I wouldn't worry too much about having a 'based' LCC. At least two LCC's at BHX haven't got a base there, but have high load factors. It's far better to have the routes served by away based aircraft than not at all.

 

[Jerry]

I wouldn't worry too much about having a 'based' LCC. At least two LCC's at BHX haven't got a base there, but have high load factors. It's far better to have the routes served by away based aircraft than not at all.

But BHX also has a based LCC in Ryanair. The advantage of a based airline is that'll bring jobs etc to the area and can fly too destinations a non based might not be able to. I suppose never say never, maybe dead was the wrong word but it does look like for the foreseeable future a based LCC may well be not possible and away based flights are only option.

 

[Jonathan]

I think CWL's best hope is differentiating itself from BRS. BRS does a great job of serving bucket and spade holidays with LCCs but due to its short runway, it's long haul game is pretty poor (and will remain so as a result). Moreover, most of it's airlines are LCCs or charters compounding the issue, meaning it's not a great airport for onward connections.

How about CWL positions itself as the long-haul airport of the SW? I fly back and forth a lot to Canada and my only viable option currently is LHR (BRS or BHX aren't even on my radar). When you start looking at the market through a long-haul lens, CWL's main competitor is suddenly a 3 hour drive away. The US market has demonstrated that you don't need the biggest catchment area to be have a successful airport - for example, the populations of Atlanta, Denver and Dallas are relatively small (compared to the biggest cities in the US) but they have some of the busiest airports in the world because these airports are airline hubs and offer a massive number of onward connections. I don't see why CWL can't go some way to emulating this.

Devolution of APD to Wales would be a massive help too.

 

[Jerry]

How about CWL positions itself as the long-haul airport of the SW?

The problem there is it's competing with Heathrow and long haul really would potentially be 1 too 2 flights a day at most which won't make CWL a sustainable airport in the long run. Only bucket and spade flights will do that.

 

[geoff]

An interview in Wales Business live, with Vaughan Gething, in which he states that the Welsh Government has no intention of selling CWL, and feels there is no conflict of interest with its application for free port status. He also stated that the airport board was looking at the developement of cargo interest a the airport.

 

[Jerry]

An interview in Wales Business live, with Vaughan Gething, in which he states that the Welsh Government has no intention of selling CWL, and feels there is no conflict of interest with its application for free port status. He also stated that the airport board was looking at the developement of cargo interest a the airport.

Cargo is the missing part for the airport on the non passenger side but it's missing the warehousing needed nearby to develop it especially for perishable goods and of course then the challenge is too get the cargo companies to use CWL instead of their flights from England.

 

[geoff]

Yes you are right in what you say, cargo is dominated by East Midlands and Heathrow, but if they could only get some of the Welsh firms to use CWL it would be a start, I'm surprised that they haven't pressed Aston Martin to use the airport they export most of their vehicles.

 

[Jerry]

Yes you are right in what you say, cargo is dominated by East Midlands and Heathrow, but if they could only get some of the Welsh firms to use CWL it would be a start, I'm surprised that they haven't pressed Aston Martin to use the airport they export most of their vehicles.

I expect they probably use the big car transporter ships out of Bristol. Cargo wise for Cardiff is probably perishable goods or airmail from a company like Amazon that would probably be the best options freight wise for CWL.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Cargo specific flights are difficult. Its much much easier for Cargo Airlines to centralise their Airports and have cargo transported in by road/rail from all angle of the country into one central location. Cardiff is anything but central to anywhere.
Cargo being transported across the M4 corridor from West/South Wales is not going to be enough to regularly fill flights.

 

[Jerry]

Cargo being transported across the M4 corridor from West/South Wales is not going to be enough to regularly fill flights.

And that's a problem for the airport when cargo is seen as part of helping to make the airport more sustainable.

Interesting twitter post from the leader of the Welsh Conservatives says there's no aircraft there but stands where you can't see over half the stands.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1615424937006665748