Ryanair

[Jerry]

As an aviation enthusiast, it is sad to see Wales main airport really struggling. For me, the only way the airport will fully recover and prosper is a private buyer coming in and investing. The Welsh gov aren’t interested, despite what they may claim. Currently, the airport is stagnating. A private owned company will have staff in specific roles. Aggressively marketing the airport and engaging with airlines. It’s like any business. You have to put yourself about. Knock on on doors and build relationships.

Without the Welsh government the airport would've closed down post pandemic. They have backed the airport and repeatedly invested where private owners previously didn't and were instrumental in attracting Qatar. I generally don't think a private company would be more successful. The problem the airport has is that the airlines it needs to base, which Ryanair is one, have a big base just over the water and it is very easy for people to travel out of the area to airports in England. Also unlike other airports it's extremely close to London so can't support flights to airports like Heathrow and the area itself isn't the big inbound tourism area of Wales and tourism is largely from England in general not international based meaning inbound european routes struggle.
I know for a fact that the airport continues to engage with airlines especially Ryanair and TUI even with Wizz, Easyjet and Jet2 as well. CWL recently had a new airline in Volotea fly to the airport for the Rugby World Cup and i hope that relationship may well lead to something in the future.
No one knows what the future will bring but i generally don't think that selling the airport to a private buyer is something that will happen or bring a more successful airport for Cardiff as a city and Wales as a country.

 

[Jetsco]

Without the Welsh government the airport would've closed down post pandemic. They have backed the airport and repeatedly invested where private owners previously didn't and were instrumental in attracting Qatar. I generally don't think a private company would be more successful. The problem the airport has is that the airlines it needs to base, which Ryanair is one, have a big base just over the water and it is very easy for people to travel out of the area to airports in England. Also unlike other airports it's extremely close to London so can't support flights to airports like Heathrow and the area itself isn't the big inbound tourism area of Wales and tourism is largely from England in general not international based meaning inbound european routes struggle.
I know for a fact that the airport continues to engage with airlines especially Ryanair and TUI even with Wizz, Easyjet and Jet2 as well. CWL recently had a new airline in Volotea fly to the airport for the Rugby World Cup and i hope that relationship may well lead to something in the future.
No one knows what the future will bring but i generally don't think that selling the airport to a private buyer is something that will happen or bring a more successful airport for Cardiff as a city and Wales as a country.

Totally respect your point of view. I just don’t know of many state owned airports that can compete with privately owned enterprises. Genuinely, without wishing to be overly political, it was the same Welsh gov who crippled the airport with politically motivated covid restrictions. Had they got their way, all air travel would have been banned in Wales for the whole pandemic. The same happened in Scotland. I just hope Cardiff can get a break. They should be competing equally with the likes of Bristol and not hoping for scraps.

 

[Jerry]

I just don’t know of many state owned airports that can compete with privately owned enterprises.

Most airports around the world are state owned, one of the most successful in the UK, Manchester, is state owned it's just owned by the local authorities rather than the national government.
Being state owned gives Cardiff a stability that other airports don't have and the challenge it faces is trying to get airlines like Ryanair to operate the flights from Cardiff instead of England with the limited resources they have to do that. They don't have the cash to subsidise them and the government doesn't have the ability to cut things like Air Passenger Duty, the airport can only really do the standard commercial type deals to help attract airlines.
Hopefully we'll see Ryanair continue to grow at Cardiff. If Malaga goes to 3 weekly, fingers crossed we'll see Faro go 3 weekly and fingers crossed we'll see a new/returned route like Tenerife to add to all that and that the operation will continue to grow and if it does that organically then maybe in the future that could set the basis for a base in the long run.

 

[Jerry]

Well good news and possibly bad news. Ryanair have put Malaga onsale for Summer 2024 at 3 weekly Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays but it looks like it's gone back to starting in June and not at the end of March.

 

[MrFenner]

Well good news and possibly bad news. Ryanair have put Malaga onsale for Summer 2024 at 3 weekly Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays but it looks like it's gone back to starting in June and not at the end of March.

There’s a glitch in the FR system I think.

There's lots of FR routes network wide that seem to be missing any form of timetable for April and May, ones that operate right up to the end of March too.

Unless of course this is on purpose so they are accounting for any potential aircraft shortages just as the summer schedule kicks in?

So I wouldn’t worry too much just yet.

 

[Jerry]

There’s a glitch in the FR system I think.

There's lots of FR routes network wide that seem to be missing any form of timetable for April and May, ones that operate right up to the end of March too.

Unless of course this is on purpose so they are accounting for any potential aircraft shortages just as the summer schedule kicks in?

So I wouldn’t worry too much just yet.

Finger's crossed! There was an odd date in March. It would be disappointing to go back to just June to October. Even 2 weekly in April and May would be great.

 

[geoff]

Just read on the other forum, that Ryanair will again set up a base at Lanzarote using three aircraft. Any chance of a CWL route?

 

[Jerry]

Just read on the other forum, that Ryanair will again set up a base at Lanzarote using three aircraft. Any chance of a CWL route?

Can only keep the fingers crossed!

 

[Nuffsaid]

Can only keep the fingers crossed!

Sadly CWL has missed out on the route expansion from ACE. BFS is the only uk route announced. Fingers crossed for the future, you never know.

 

[CraigW92]

Flew with Ryanair and Ryanair UK this week, CWL to BFS and DUB to CWL for a short business trip

I can see why BFS is being canned had to be around 60-65 on the outward leg which was rather disappointing

DUB to CWL however I counted only 3 spare seats coming back Thursday evening, seemed a fair mix of business and leisure on that flight, judging from my own thoughts and other people i know that have used the service, it seems the poorer loads are being seen on the CWL to DUB leg late evenings, hopefully with FR starting to publish the schedules for next summer we will see a new route or two, I believe they are vital to future of the airport

 

[Jerry]

CWL to DUB leg late evenings

Which is understandable considering how late the times are.
Monday is a 23.00 departure, Tuesday a better 09.45, Wednesday 22.50, Thursday 23.05, Friday 20.10, Saturday 22.05, Sunday 13.25.

 

[CraigW92]

Which is understandable considering how late the times are.
Monday is a 23.00 departure, Tuesday a better 09.45, Wednesday 22.50, Thursday 23.05, Friday 20.10, Saturday 22.05, Sunday 13.25.

Apratt from the winter when aircraft utilisation is pretty low and the departures I think are all afternoon ish,

Next summer for example

Monday : 23:00
Tuesday: 15:15
Wednesday : dropped
Thursday: 16:00
Friday: 17:10
Saturday: 22:45
Sunday: 23:55 !

Personally from a business point of view a departure of around 19:00 from Dublin is ideal, with the dropped Wednedsay flight from next year will be interesting to see how the loads go

 

[Jerry]

The Monday and Sunday times to seem terrible but i suppose if you're coming from Dublin they're a bit better and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday time are better.

 

[Nuffsaid]

I don’t think we are going to see anything further from Ryanair. They have just based another aircraft at BRS to operate two new destinations as well as increased frequencies on routes that CWL is crying out for. It is hard to be optimistic for CWL future in these circumstances.

 

[MrFenner]

I don’t think we are going to see anything further from Ryanair. They have just based another aircraft at BRS to operate two new destinations as well as increased frequencies on routes that CWL is crying out for. It is hard to be optimistic for CWL future in these circumstances.

Those two routes BRS claim are “new” are just a winter continuation - they’re already operating and have been all summer.

Your other points though, very valid. Sadly.

 

[Jerry]

I don’t think we are going to see anything further from Ryanair. They have just based another aircraft at BRS to operate two new destinations as well as increased frequencies on routes that CWL is crying out for. It is hard to be optimistic for CWL future in these circumstances.

Just got to keep on hoping and if not for next summer, for next winter and beyond. There really isn't much else option wise for CWL in airlines beyond Ryanair and Vueling.

 

[Jerry]

Although this article is well complete rubbish the comment by the Ryanair person doesn't bode well for any hope of future expansion at Cardiff by Ryanair.
"The number of flights from Cardiff are 50% less than last year, but we have found that most people are willing to travel to Bristol. There is so much going on there and we are happy to be growing our base."

Ryanair grows its business from Bristol and cuts back in Cardiff

Cardiff to Belfast flights that were introduced in the spring will not be running over the winter

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[MrFenner]

Although this article is well complete rubbish the comment by the Ryanair person doesn't bode well for any hope of future expansion at Cardiff by Ryanair.
"The number of flights from Cardiff are 50% less than last year, but we have found that most people are willing to travel to Bristol. There is so much going on there and we are happy to be growing our base."

Ryanair grows its business from Bristol and cuts back in Cardiff

Cardiff to Belfast flights that were introduced in the spring will not be running over the winter

www.walesonline.co.uk

Great to see the fantastic WalesOnline getting behind supporting Welsh infrastructure and jobs...

Of course their journalism has always been questionable at the best of times (if you can see through all the adverts).

As for the quotes, generally they are from media people at such companies rather than the management at the top who know exactly whets going on / likely to happen in the future - and of course they will always say what the outlet they are speaking to want them to say.

Yes, most people are willing to travel to BRS; one would say they have to given the choices at CWL - so a dead quote to say the least.

 

[BHX492]

They said the same to staff who asked.

 

[Jerry]

They said the same to staff who asked.

The problem is though it doesn't even seem like they are building up to a base. There is several routes they could do using non based aircraft to build up to one.