His farm is quite near the airport. I wonder if he looked over the south side, at Global Trek AND DRAGONFLY.
On thread someone replied that it was January and he replied what's that got to do with it.
I don't think he actually understands that it's the quietest part of the year for aviation. I think like many he doesn't understand how seasonal an airport like Cardiff is. Too many look at the likes of Heathrow and think that the airport should have planes in and out all the time. He just sees it as a chance to bash Labour and I don't even think he's thought about the passenger side like Global Trek, BAMC and St Athan.
Which considering he sees himself as a Vale politician despite being a regional list MS for South Wales East you'd think he'd know more about such a big business in his area.
 
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?
I don’t want to be disingenuous to Cardiff at all, but I see the point he is making. Bristol has access to a much larger population within a 50 mile radius, itself being fairly close to the sea doesn’t really matter as it has the M5 pulling people in from the South West and then the various outlying areas to the North and East. It is also i believe a far more prosperous area than Cardiff. Cardiff and Newport urban area has a population of around 1 million. I could be wrong but I believe there is a fairly high number of employed people in the area and a great deal of relative poverty. To put it into context, the core catchment area is around the same size as Humbersides! Yet it still manages to handle over 1mppa and has done for many years, so things aren’t that bad.

Problems start when you talk of high volume carriers which is a requirement for airlines like easyJet and Jet2 when they look at opening bases. If you can’t keep 3 aircraft busy then it’s not really a financially viable investment. Ryanair are different and they may hold the key to sustainable growth. They do have a TUI base, and the Vueling routes which could be increased. The airport is already well served with connections to AMS, DUB and BFS.

Sadly BRS will always hold the cards in the South West and Southern Wales market, purely due to location. Facilities and runway limitations/weather don’t factor particularly high when it comes to airline growth strategies, and I think with the M4 being close by, long-haul from the South West is a bit of a pipe dream.
 
I don’t want to be disingenuous to Cardiff at all, but I see the point he is making. Bristol has access to a much larger population within a 50 mile radius, itself being fairly close to the sea doesn’t really matter as it has the M5 pulling people in from the South West and then the various outlying areas to the North and East. It is also i believe a far more prosperous area than Cardiff. Cardiff and Newport urban area has a population of around 1 million. I could be wrong but I believe there is a fairly high number of employed people in the area and a great deal of relative poverty. To put it into context, the core catchment area is around the same size as Humbersides! Yet it still manages to handle over 1mppa and has done for many years, so things aren’t that bad.

Problems start when you talk of high volume carriers which is a requirement for airlines like easyJet and Jet2 when they look at opening bases. If you can’t keep 3 aircraft busy then it’s not really a financially viable investment. Ryanair are different and they may hold the key to sustainable growth. They do have a TUI base, and the Vueling routes which could be increased. The airport is already well served with connections to AMS, DUB and BFS.

Sadly BRS will always hold the cards in the South West and Southern Wales market, purely due to location. Facilities and runway limitations/weather don’t factor particularly high when it comes to airline growth strategies, and I think with the M4 being close by, long-haul from the South West is a bit of a pipe dream.
Bristol's catchment has a lot more disposable cash than that of Cardiff's, this is fact.
Also Cardiff airport is simply in the wrong location if the airport was to the East of Cardiff close the M4 then people from Bristol would potentially see it as an alternative.
 
Bristol's catchment has a lot more disposable cash than that of Cardiff's, this is fact.
Also Cardiff airport is simply in the wrong location if the airport was to the East of Cardiff close the M4 then people from Bristol would potentially see it as an alternative.
I do remember not too long ago there were calls from some quarters for one airport between Bristol and Cardiff. Obviously there is very little appetite to build new airports in the U.K. now. I’m surprised Filton was never developed given its location. Suppose it’s worth more as a housing estate/business park. But I agree with you. Cardiff is doing ok though in terms of passenger numbers, people need to manage their expectations a bit.
 
Cardiff and Newport urban area has a population of around 1 million
In the case of Cardiff Airport it's greater catchment area could be considered as South Wales and Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. That's 2,214,098 people. I know some will use Cardiff from Ceredigion and Powys especially southern Powys as well but probably to a less extent potentially than the other areas. Looking at the catchment immediately around CWL then there's 875,303 people living in Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Bridgend. If you count Merthyr and Caerphilly as immediate then it's 1,110,174.
The challenge Cardiff faces is that it's quite easy for people to travel out of the area to catch flights and for some notably Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire and Newport airports in England are just as easy too get too and closer. Big parts of the catchment as well do have some of the poorest areas in Europe Rhondda is one of them. If you look at Wales as a whole as Cardiff is Wales only international airport there's a catchment of 687,098 that due to geography and transport links aren't ever going to fly from Cardiff.
Another challenge as stated in a previous post is inbound tourism. It's easy too access Wales not by flying directly into Wales, Wales world profile isn't high and often is considered a region of England and one of the big tourism areas which is in the north West requires a road trip too get too from Cardiff. Cardiff itself doesn't seem to have or is developing a profile as a city break destination which the likes of Edinburgh have and there are questions in how much the surrounding area is promoted as one for international tourists.
I think at the moment it does seem that a LCC base at Cardiff isn't sustainable, now that's not too say an LCC airline or airlines aren't but it's probable that the focus may well have to be on building up non based flights mainly from Ryanair and hopefully Vueling while looking at non passenger related operations too make the airport at least break even.

This a breakdown of the population of Wales by authority. Total population 3,105,410
South Wales 1,902,238
Newport 159,658
Monmouthshire 93,194
Torfaen 92,453
Blaenau Gwent 66,993
Caerphilly 176,005
Merthyr Tydfil 58,866
Rhondda Cynon Taff 237,497
Cardiff 359,512
Vale of Glamorgan 132,534
Bridgend 145,760
Neath Port Talbot 141,931
Swansea 237,834
Mid and West Wales 516,075
Carmarthenshire 188,191
Pembrokeshire 123,669
Ceredigion 70,658
Powys 133,557
North Wales 687,098
Wrexham 135,132
Flintshire 155,076
Denbighshire 96,046
Conwy 114,828
Gwynedd 117,072
Isle of Anglesey 68,944

Welsh Government has no intention of cutting losses and selling Cardiff Airport says Vaughan Gething
 
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Bit of a bleak forecast but I suspect he might have an axe too grind.
 
Updated
Summer 2023 summary so far
TUI
44 weekly departures, 22 destinations, 3 based aircraft.
KLM
20 weekly departures, 1 destination, 1 overnighting aircraft.
Wizz Air
16 weekly departures, 7 destinations, 1 based aircraft.
Ryanair
13 weekly departures, 4 destinations.
Aer Lingus Regional (Emerald Airlines)
7 weekly departures, 1 destination
Vueling
5 weekly departures, 2 destinations.
Loganair
6 weekly departures, 1 destination.
Balkan Holidays
1 weekly departure, 1 destination
Total so far 113 weekly departures, 28 destinations, 4 based aircraft, 1 overnighting aircraft.
With Wizz leaving this is what summer 2023 will look like from Cardiff. One thing is that with Wizz departure Cardiff doesn't lose any destinations as they are already covered by other airlines.
Summer 2023 summary so far
TUI
44 weekly departures, 22 destinations, 3 based aircraft.
KLM
20 weekly departures, 1 destination, 1 overnighting aircraft.
Ryanair
13 weekly departures, 4 destinations.
Aer Lingus Regional (Emerald Airlines)
7 weekly departures, 1 destination
Vueling
5 weekly departures, 2 destinations.
Loganair
6 weekly departures, 1 destination.
Balkan Holidays
1 weekly departure, 1 destination
Total so far 97 weekly departures, 28 destinations, 3 based aircraft, 1 overnighting aircraft.
 
Such a shame that Vueling have gone from their heyday of ~13 flights a week to just 5!

I truly hope CWL is chasing Ryanair with a blank cheque at this stage.

And no low-cost flights to PMI in the summer really is one big coffin nail.

:unsure:

Brighter times will come…
 
Such a shame that Vueling have gone from their heyday of ~13 flights a week to just 5!
Yes it is, hopefully the airport can over time regain many of the lost flights from Vueling.
As for Ryanair they probably are the airports only real option now especially if Vueling isn't interested in expanding again. The airport does have a base too work from for the future though. I do think that they may well have to give up any hope of a LCC base for the forseeable future and concentrate on getting Vueling and Ryanair to increase their away flights into the airport. Maybe Cardiff should give all airlines a blank cheque? and i do think the Welsh government needs to play it's part as well in promoting southern Wales and Cardiff as a holiday and city break destination.
 
I did read in one of the travel magazines, that Vueling were going to adopt the same policy as Majorca, and concentrate on quality and not quantity, but that doesn't help CWL in any way, having no flight only airline to Majorca must be the first time in many years.
 
I truly hope CWL is chasing Ryanair with a blank cheque at this stage.
That would be financial suicide for CWL. I very much doubt that CWL could afford to subsidise Ryanair operations (and, believe me, if they tried Ryanair would milk it as much as possible). CWL needs growth and new airlines, but only if those bring prosperity to CWL.
 
That would be financial suicide for CWL.
I don't think CWL has the money to pay airlines but the problem they have is how do they attract them? How do they get airlines like Ryanair to operate the flights to the destinations that CWL needs to be viable as an airport especially when those airlines know that the passengers from Cardiffs catchment area will travel to their bases at other airports.
 
What the departure board will look like at peak summer in 2023.
Monday 13 departures
06.00 Dalaman TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.25 Corfu TUI
06.55 Menorca TUI
08.50 Alicante Vueling
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.45 Tenerife TUI
15.20 Antalya TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
16.55 Bourgas TUI
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
23.00 Dublin Ryanair
Tuesday 14 departures
06.00 Palma de Mallorca TUI
06.00 Alicante TUI
06.00 Reus TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
09.55 Dublin Ryanair
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.05 Kefalonia TUI
13.25 Tenerife TUI
14.30 Zante TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
16.55 Malaga Ryanair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
22.40 Palma de Mallorca TUI
Wednesday 15 departures
06.00 Malaga TUI
06.00 Kos TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.35 Ibiza TUI
08.50 Alicante Vueling
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
11.15 Belfast International Ryanair
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
14.00 Rhodes TUI
14.15 Paphos TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
16.25 Dalaman TUI
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
19.50 Malaga Vueling
22.50 Dublin Ryanair
Thursday 12 departures
06.00 Lanzarote TUI
06.00 Palma de Mallorca TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.30 Dubrovnik TUI
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.10 Bourgas TUI
14.45 Antalya TUI
16.00 Dalaman TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
23.05 Dublin Ryanair
Friday 15 departures
06.00 Menorca TUI
06.00 Enfidha TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.10 Palma de Mallorca TUI
08.50 Alicante Vueling
09.20 Faro Ryanair
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.20 Corfu TUI
13.30 Zante TUI
14.10 Tenerife TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
17.55 Dublin Ryanair
22.20 Ibiza TUI
Saturday 15 departures
06.00 Alicante TUI
06.05 Ibiza TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.30 Palma de Mallorca TUI
09.00 Bourgas BH Air
09.45 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.15 Kos TUI
13.20 Malaga Vueling
13.45 Gran Canaria TUI
14.35 Rhodes TUI
16.50 Malaga Ryanair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
21.55 Belfast Int Ryanair
22.05 Dublin Ryanair
Sunday 13 departures
06.00 Lanzarote TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.25 Malaga TUI
07.05 Palma de Mallorca TUI
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
11.50 Faro Ryanair
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.25 Dublin Ryanair
13.50 Larnaca TUI
14.15 Heraklion TUI
15.55 Paphos TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
 
What the departure board will look like at peak summer in 2023.
Monday 13 departures
06.00 Dalaman TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.25 Corfu TUI
06.55 Menorca TUI
08.50 Alicante Vueling
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.45 Tenerife TUI
15.20 Antalya TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
16.55 Bourgas TUI
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
23.00 Dublin Ryanair
Tuesday 14 departures
06.00 Palma de Mallorca TUI
06.00 Alicante TUI
06.00 Reus TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
09.55 Dublin Ryanair
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.05 Kefalonia TUI
13.25 Tenerife TUI
14.30 Zante TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
16.55 Malaga Ryanair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
22.40 Palma de Mallorca TUI
Wednesday 15 departures
06.00 Malaga TUI
06.00 Kos TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.35 Ibiza TUI
08.50 Alicante Vueling
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
11.15 Belfast International Ryanair
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
14.00 Rhodes TUI
14.15 Paphos TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
16.25 Dalaman TUI
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
19.50 Malaga Vueling
22.50 Dublin Ryanair
Thursday 12 departures
06.00 Lanzarote TUI
06.00 Palma de Mallorca TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.30 Dubrovnik TUI
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.10 Bourgas TUI
14.45 Antalya TUI
16.00 Dalaman TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
23.05 Dublin Ryanair
Friday 15 departures
06.00 Menorca TUI
06.00 Enfidha TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.10 Palma de Mallorca TUI
08.50 Alicante Vueling
09.20 Faro Ryanair
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.20 Corfu TUI
13.30 Zante TUI
14.10 Tenerife TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
17.55 Dublin Ryanair
22.20 Ibiza TUI
Saturday 15 departures
06.00 Alicante TUI
06.05 Ibiza TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.30 Palma de Mallorca TUI
09.00 Bourgas BH Air
09.45 Amsterdam KLM
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.15 Kos TUI
13.20 Malaga Vueling
13.45 Gran Canaria TUI
14.35 Rhodes TUI
16.50 Malaga Ryanair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM
21.55 Belfast Int Ryanair
22.05 Dublin Ryanair
Sunday 13 departures
06.00 Lanzarote TUI
06.05 Amsterdam KLM
06.25 Malaga TUI
07.05 Palma de Mallorca TUI
09.55 Amsterdam KLM
11.50 Faro Ryanair
12.00 Belfast City Aer Lingus
13.25 Dublin Ryanair
13.50 Larnaca TUI
14.15 Heraklion TUI
15.55 Paphos TUI
16.15 Edinburgh Loganair
17.15 Amsterdam KLM

Im usually pretty positive in terms of the airport, but I have to say seeing that like that for a summer programme, this is pretty horrific

What makes it even worse is the likes of IBZ with TUI not starting until the end of May also where it began on the 4th last year, I was hoping at least PMI would have seen VY return or FR add it at least from June - September

I know there’s increases on FR DUB, new route BFS and EI BHD, but if we look at what’s been lost it doesn't look great at all

What do we think Plan A is for next summer ?
 
What do we think Plan A is for next summer ?
Not really much they can do now, maybe they might be able to get a few extra flights from Ryanair but doubtful. I expect that the airport may well concentrate on summer 2024 and getting Vueling and Ryanair to increase what they offer from the airport and maybe get TUI to offer a bit more as well and try and get Air France on Paris CDG.
In the long term the airport may have too shelve the strategy of attracting a based LCC as it seems with the exception of TUI based airlines don't work at Cardiff. Growth will need too be from away based flights.
 
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Well one thing’s for sure, I’d rather not go on holiday than fly from Bristol. It’s a horrible overcrowded airport. Always happy to fly from Cardiff, easy parking easy check-in, nice lounge, hassle free boarding.
In contrast last time I flew from Bristol I used the sat-nav and it took me down a dead end, luckily some road workmen guided us back on track near Temple Gueting and that one way bridge.
The airport car-park was a bus ride away from the terminal and the queues for the bus were alarming.
When we got to the airport and upstairs, there were huge snake queues and we almost lost the flight, eventually got through by jumping the queues courtesy of one of the staff, the departure gate was the furthest away and they were just closing.
Hopefully some low cost airline can see the opportunities available at Cardiff this summer. I think Vueling were too hasty in cutting their flights.
 
It’s a horrible overcrowded airport. Always happy to fly from Cardiff, easy parking easy check-in, nice lounge, hassle free boarding.
That is the irony in a way of small airports, them being small especially in passenger numbers, often means they are less crowded and a more pleasant experience.
 
Well one thing’s for sure, I’d rather not go on holiday than fly from Bristol. It’s a horrible overcrowded airport. Always happy to fly from Cardiff, easy parking easy check-in, nice lounge, hassle free boarding.
In contrast last time I flew from Bristol I used the sat-nav and it took me down a dead end, luckily some road workmen guided us back on track near Temple Gueting and that one way bridge.
The airport car-park was a bus ride away from the terminal and the queues for the bus were alarming.
When we got to the airport and upstairs, there were huge snake queues and we almost lost the flight, eventually got through by jumping the queues courtesy of one of the staff, the departure gate was the furthest away and they were just closing.
Hopefully some low cost airline can see the opportunities available at Cardiff this summer. I think Vueling were too hasty in cutting their flights.

Not sure you can use your satnav as a reason not to use an airport, hardly the fault of the airport which iitself is well signposted from both motorways. Although those of us that have pre euro 6 diesel engines should be aware of driving along the A4 Portway. This will take you through the clean air zone incurring a £9 charge. The Highways Authorities have been asked to put up signs on the motorways but have so far failed to do so.
There are car parks at the airport within walking distance of the terminal, usually more expensive
 
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9 trips in 9 days done 70 miles walked and over 23-00 photos taken with a large number taken at 20mph or above. Heavy rain on 1 day only
5 trips done and 45 miles walked,. Also the RAF has had 4 F35B Lightning follow me yesterday and today....
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