Looks like G-WUKK will be the aircraft that operates the first flights from CWL Screenshot_20220407-084510_Flightradar24.jpg
 
That’s a very encouraging article - And as expected confirms that this year (Summer & Winter) is very much a toe-dipping operation for them to test the market.

For her to come out and say that on record already, proves that they must have pretty strong bookings which are looking good into the months ahead. On that note, almost certain growth for S23 should be on the cards (Hopefully). Spencer has already said he’s pitched the idea of 3 based aircraft to them !
 
A three aircraft base must be a target in the fairly near future with eventual growth on that.

CWL has a proven track record for summer sun routes albeit one has to go back to before the pre-noughties recession for the real evidence. In 2007 when the airport handled 2.1 million passengers it was still losing substantial passenger traffic to other airports including over 700,000 to Bristol that year (CAA survey). So even at that high point there was obvious potential to claw back more passengers.

In terms of the passenger volume needed to feed the airport's ancillary revenue streams Wizz has to succeed, and the airline seems confident that it will. It's significant to me that Wizz is operating iits CWL programme as a commercial venture with no subsidies from the airport owner.
 
She mentioned in the article, the possibility of eastern European routes, BMI Baby previously operated routes to Poland and Prague, with the right prices many Easter Europeans who chose to remain in Wales, would find these services a great help. With their low prices, it may be possible to start reclaiming Welsh passengers back from BRS, and even prove a challenge to FR and EZY. Let's hope they are well supported, the WIZZ CEO seems happy with the bookings so far, but only time will tell.
 
A three aircraft base must be a target in the fairly near future with eventual growth on that.

CWL has a proven track record for summer sun routes albeit one has to go back to before the pre-noughties recession for the real evidence. In 2007 when the airport handled 2.1 million passengers it was still losing substantial passenger traffic to other airports including over 700,000 to Bristol that year (CAA survey). So even at that high point there was obvious potential to claw back more passengers.

In terms of the passenger volume needed to feed the airport's ancillary revenue streams Wizz has to succeed, and the airline seems confident that it will. It's significant to me that Wizz is operating iits CWL programme as a commercial venture with no subsidies from the airport owner.
Well reading what the CEO said it looks like they may not potentially do any expansion until after 2024, Spencer Birns did previously say that the airport wouldn't look like hitting pre pandemic numbers until 2025.
She mentioned in the article, the possibility of eastern European routes, BMI Baby previously operated routes to Poland and Prague, with the right prices many Easter Europeans who chose to remain in Wales, would find these services a great help. With their low prices, it may be possible to start reclaiming Welsh passengers back from BRS, and even prove a challenge to FR and EZY. Let's hope they are well supported, the WIZZ CEO seems happy with the bookings so far, but only time will tell.
I'd expect that any Eastern European routes would be a long time coming probably until there was 3 aircraft and there was enough leisure traffic to sustain them.
 
There are several comments in another aviation website saying that the airport reaction to today's first Wizz Air flights was surprisingly low-key.

Even if the airport media team has been stood down there must be some sort of PR presence. Given the potential that Wizz has to bring to the airport I would have expected a major effort to bring maximum publicity showing the launch as an important occasion for CWL and the Welsh travelling public.

This post is as much a question as a statement as I don't do social media so don't know what appeared there. According to the comments I mentioned earlier the answer seems to be 'not a lot'.

Looking at the official CWL website the last news item was dated 25 March and looks ahead to the summer season generally which mentions Wizz in passing.

There appears to be nothing about today's actual launch of the Wizz base. They should be shouting from the roof tops to ensure that all prospective travellers are aware. New customers have to be worked for. Surely the airport must know this.
 
BBC and ITV Wales both featured the launch on their evening news programmes, I like you TLY do not do social media, but there were a few complaints about the CWL media and Marketing team on the other forum, the CWL marketing team seem to be doing very little at the present time.
 
This post is as much a question as a statement as I don't do social media so don't know what appeared there. According to the comments I mentioned earlier the answer seems to be 'not a lot'.
On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram the airport has been doing a daily countdown the last 10 (i think) days about the start of the base, there has been regular adverts on the radio. I don't personally see what else could've done in what i expect is a restricted budget, i doubt very much the airport has the budget for TV or billboards.
 
On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram the airport has been doing a daily countdown the last 10 (i think) days about the start of the base, there has been regular adverts on the radio. I don't personally see what else could've done in what i expect is a restricted budget, i doubt very much the airport has the budget for TV or billboards.
But nothing on the airport's own website today? Making a big splash there would not have cost the earth. Today's launch has been ignored completely in that medium.

Perhaps airport websites are now regarded as old-fashioned in some quarters but some airports still make great use of them to continually get news across to the public and keep their airport and customer airlines in the forefront of customer thinking. CWL has never been prolific in this sort of thing. Perhaps it should be.
 
But nothing on the airport's own website today? Making a big splash there would not have cost the earth. Today's launch has been ignored completely in that medium.
Which is really disappointing in that regard especially as potentially an article like that can help drive traffic to the airports own website if shared through the airports social media.
 
I was amazed that they used the terms “around 200 passengers” and “bang-on” in an official social media post!

An unbelievable case of the missing social media team - at a time when social media is king.

Not good.
 
A post on a social media platform from a passenger and avid CWL supporter states the first PMI today had just 7 empty seats…

Fingers crossed all the other routes are as popular and people use them!
 
Also the ALC today went out completely full, the booking app showed no availability ‘sold out’ for this flight yesterday so assuming it’s fully booked!

Wizz was clever in launching the base coinciding with the Easter holidays! The tell tale on how the routes are doing will be in a few weeks time!

The Wizz MD said they are happy with bookings but then I suppose you are always going to say that in the media; although let’s hope Wizz are branded as much as possible and supported by the Welsh public and travel agents as the potential is there for Wizz to be the BMI Baby of old!
 
It's a positive start what'll be interesting is to see the loads on routes like Larnaca and in the future Heraklion and Corfu but it is nice to see something positive for Cardiff after a few years of doom and gloom with the pandemic and the loss of Flybe and Thomas Cook.
 
I'm hadn't realised and surprised to see there's no flight on a Sunday morning until Corfu starts in June. You'd think they'd put an extra route or another frequency to ALC, FAO or PMI until then.
 
Yes it is a little odd especially as they're operating Lanzarote in place of Heraklion 3 weekly. Also it should also mean only 1 departure for them on Thursdays as well until Corfu kicks in.
 
I was amazed that they used the terms “around 200 passengers” and “bang-on” in an official social media post!

An unbelievable case of the missing social media team - at a time when social media is king.

Not good.

I also saw this, a lot of the airports social media posts these days are questionable, unless they are just trying to use language that’s a bit more casual.
 
Yes it is a little odd especially as they're operating Lanzarote in place of Heraklion 3 weekly. Also it should also mean only 1 departure for them on Thursdays as well until Corfu kicks in.

It's often a very good time to carry out routine maintenance albeit this is generally done during the night when the aircraft is on the ground. But with it being a new base it's a good time to carry out aircraft familiarisation visits for the new operating crews, however this will all of course come to an abrupt end come June when the aircraft is very busy indeed.

Strange how even though it didn't operate this morning it departed 1h25mins late to LCA...
 

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