CAA Provisional Statistics Update

[Pontyboy]

According to the article below the month of March saw 3% growth and 99,570 passengers using the airport.
https://www.cardiff-airport.com/news/2019/04/17/continued-passenger-growth-at-cardiff-airport/

To me that’s very disappointing, especially with the additional klm and Qatar. Was there a French airlift last March? 3% is roughly 3,000 passengers.

 

[Jerry]

To me that’s very disappointing, especially with the additional klm and Qatar. Was there a French airlift last March? 3% is roughly 3,000 passengers.

No french rugby airlift but there was an Irish one. We'll only know the break of the individual routes until the CAA stats are out but personally i was expecting a bit more growth than 3%.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

To me that’s very disappointing, especially with the additional klm and Qatar. Was there a French airlift last March? 3% is roughly 3,000 passengers.

Easter was earlier in 2018 than it is this year. In 2018 Good Friday was on 30 March so there would have been some passenger dividend at least outbound in the run-up to the Easter weekend, which wasn't the case this March.

Against that, early March 2018 saw the 'Beast from The East' which closed a number of airports for at least a day. I'm not sure how badly CWL was affected.

In March 2018 the French rugby airlift accounted for at least 8,000 in so far as routes not normally served are concerned. Paris CDG was up 3,000 over March 2017 so it might be safely assumed that many of the additional passengers on the CDG flights were rugby-related. In summary, it's likely that at least 10,000 were part of the French rugby bonanza, more than Qatar and the additonal KLM together were likely to carry.

With France v Wales discounted this March because the match took place in February, perhaps a 3% rise in March this year isn't so bad.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I meant to add the point that I see Jerry has just made - best to wait until the March CAA stats are published before coming to a considered view.

 

[Severn]

Most airlines ramped up to their summer schedules on the week beginning 1st April this year, whereas last year they ramped up on the 26th March. This means most UK airports will experience a decrease in passenger numbers this March for this reason.

Take easyJet at BRS for example; they were seeing an average of 15 departures more each week in Jan-Mar 2019 than the same period of 2018. This was true all the way up to the week of the 25th March 19 where there were 20 less departures than the same week in 2018 due to the summer schedule having started that week in 2018. This meant March saw less of an increase than the previous months.

The same is true for easyJet across it's UK airports, and Ryanair are the same. Due to starting their summer season on the 1st April this year, a week later than last year, looking at all of Ryanair's UK departures for the last week of March 19 saw a huge drop in flights compared to the same week in 2018. This meant March 2019 looked like it had poor passenger stats, however it is actually all down to less flights operating during the same period. Hope that rather long rambling explanation all makes sense!

 

[Jerry]

CAA Stats March 2019
99,055 passengers used the airport in March up 3.2% on 2018. The rolling year was 1,585,058 up 6.8% on 2018.
Atms were 1258 down 0.5% on 2018.
Top 10 routes
1. Amsterdam 14,912 +29%
2. Dublin 13,731 +64%
3. Edinburgh 9054 +22%
4. Alicante 7906 +11%
5. Tenerife South 7355 +1%
6. Belfast City 6569 +4%
7. Doha 6106
8. Paris CDG 5063 -37%
9. Malaga 4751 -3%
10. Arrecife 3314 -1%

 

[Jerry]

March 2019 Domestic stats
Anglesey 17????
Belfast City 6569 +4%
Edinburgh 9054 +22%
Farnborough 42
Glasgow 3142 +17%
Jersey 1303 +4%
Manchester 95
Newcastle 503 -54%
Norwich 72
European stats
Paphos 1374 +8%
Chambery 720 +3%
Paris CDG 5063 -37%
Berlin TXL 685 -44%
Munich 1226 +19%
Cork 1339 +42%
Dublin 13,731 +64%
Shannon 91
Milan MXP 1245 -14%
Rome FCO 1378 +14%
Amsterdam 14,912 +29%
Faro 1250 -47%
Alicante 7906 +11%
Malaga 4751 -3%
Arrecife 3314 -1%
Las Palmas 1852 +1%
Tenerife South 7355 +1%
Bergen 136 -51%
Geneva 766 -3%
Bratislava 633
International Stats
Doha 6106
Bridgetown 866 -19%
Montego Bay 294 -2%

 

[Foxlimayankee]

The increase in AMS is good at an extra 3343 passengers, however that only equates to an extra 108 passengers each day, so 54 each way.
To put into perspective, the upgrade from E70 (88 seats) to E90 (100 seats) on the current 3 daily flights is 36 passengers so certainly warrants the E90 being on the current 3x daily flights and could warrant a 4th daily flight but with all of them being E70. Certainly not worthy of a regular 737 service just yet.
Doha is disappointing again but will hopefully now start ramping up for the summer.

 

[Jerry]

Hopefully it'll encourage them to add more E190 flights and eventually for CWL to go all E190. Though personally I would prefer a 4th lunchtime flight instead and I'm wondering if with the Flybe base closure and if CDG was lost and Air France were unwilling or unable to take it over then they might consider the 4th flight to fill the gap and give people still the option of 4 skyteam hub flights a day?
On another note I was looking at prices to Portland earlier and was surprised that CWL was slightly cheaper than Bristol and the return for BRS was the 737. Though Heathrow was cheaper than both but not by that much.

 

[Jerry]

CAA Stats for April 2019
The airport saw 126,274 passengers use it in April up 20.4% on 2018. The rolling year was 1,606,458 up 7.5% on 2018.
Atms were 1384 up 6.4%.
Top 10 routes
1. Amsterdam 13,396
2. Alicante 11,278
3. Tenerife South 10,726
4. Edinburgh 9761
5. Doha 7884
6. Dublin 7814
7. Malaga 7426
8. Palma de Mallorca 6882
9. Paris CDG 6747
10. Arrecife 4234

 

[Jerry]

Domestic stats for April 2019
Anglesey 1122 -14%
Belfast City TBA
Durham Tees Valley 69
Edinburgh 9761 -1%
Glasgow 2886 +17%
Humberside 69
Jersey 1484 -16%
Liverpool 86
Manchester 134
Newcastle 382 -63%
European stats
Larnaca 1437
Paphos 1429 -5%
Chambery 459 +40%
Paris CDG 6747 -7%
Tarbes 172
Munich 1369 +14%
Cork 1087 -8%
Dublin 7818 -12%
Shannon 95
Milan MXP 1049 -48%
Rome 1336 -18%
Venice 917 -25%
Verona 226 -43%
Malta 2552
Amsterdam 13,396 +11%
Faro 4666 -24%
Alicante 11,278 +16%
Barcelona 2878 -3%
Malaga 7426 -9%
Palma de Mallorca 6882 +89%
Arrecife 4234 +27%
Las Palmas 1461 +4%
Tenerife South 10,726 +81%
Bergen 136
Geneva 408 +15%
Antalya 1398
Dalaman 2957
Enfidha 1445
International stats
Doha 7884
Bridgetown 694

 

[Foxlimayankee]

I know it's probably difficult to tell on some routes with the duplication of routes with TUI, but any indication on how TCX performed with the early start?
Noticeable rises with PMI and TFS. Were AYT, DLM NBE and LCA solely operated by TCX?

Also ALC has seen a nice rise for VY.

 

[Jerry]

Were AYT, DLM NBE and LCA solely operated by TCX?

Yes they were TCX only.
PMI they carried 2969
Antalya 1398
Dalaman 2957
Enfidha 1445
Larnaca 1437
Tenerife and Arrecife they shared with TUI so can't be separated.
Going to estimate Tenerife at 4660 based on the growth.
Going to estimate Arrecife at 902 based on the growth.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Sorry, meant the LF

 

[Jerry]

The average LF's for the TCX routes
Dalaman average 164 per flight 74% LF
PMI average 164 per flight 74% LF
Enfidha average 180 per flight 81% LF
Larnaca average 179 per flight 81% LF
Tenerife average 179 per flight 81% LF
Arrecife average 113 per flight 51% LF

 

[aviatorconcorde]

May will be interesting as we can start comparing DOH.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

May will be interesting as we can start comparing DOH.

May 2018 saw only 2965 passengers use the CWL-DOH route. I think it was 5 x weekly then as I think it was this May. It wasn't a great start and June wasn't a lot better with 4491 passengers although I don't think it became daily until late in that month.

By July and August things really began to pick up with 10160 and 11568 respectively, and September saw 8897.

There seems no doubt that May and June this year will easily exceed the same months in 2018 for Qatar, which with Ryanair's and TUI's expansion should give a very healthy look to the airport's passenger figures for those months.

 

[Pontyboy]

The average LF's for the TCX routes
Dalaman average 164 per flight 74% LF
PMI average 164 per flight 74% LF
Enfidha average 180 per flight 81% LF
Larnaca average 179 per flight 81% LF
Tenerife average 179 per flight 81% LF
Arrecife average 113 per flight 51% LF

Not bad at all considering many of these routes haven't been operated in April for a very long time or not at all. Will TCX start in April 2020?

 

[Jerry]

Not bad at all considering many of these routes haven't been operated in April for a very long time or not at all. Will TCX start in April 2020?

Yes it does show there is demand there. And yes Thomas Cook is starting in April again.

 

[Jerry]

CAA Stats May 2019
176,704 passengers used the airport in May up 7.2% on 2018.
The rolling year was 1,618,265 up 7.1% on 2018.
Top 10 routes
1. Palma de Mallorca 14,998
2. Amsterdam 13,799
3. Alicante 11,435
4. Edinburgh 9904
5. Malaga 9884
6. Tenerife South 8736
7. Dublin 8174
8. Dalaman 7734
9. Paris CDG 6957
10. Doha 4997