CAA Provisional Statistics Update

[TheLocalYokel]

CAA stats April 2011

Provisional figures for the month show that 82,698 passengers were handled, up 5.2% on April 2010.

I couldn't resist highlighting the plus figure which is the first monthly gain for over three years but of course we know it's down to the volcano ash of April 2010 when CWL, like all airports in the UK, was closed for the best part of a week.

The disappointing news in terms of the 5.2% passenger rise is that atms were up 16.5%.

Rolling 12-monthly figure was 1,362,580, down 11.4% on a year ago. CWL is now within a whisker of the passenger numbers it last saw in 1999.

 

[alphagolf]

May 2011 CAA Stats Published

Passengers: 135,890 DOWN 5.3%
Movements: 1,601 DOWN 2.4%

Its a bit concerning that passengers fell more than the movements which would suggests fewer pax on each flight, not what the airport needs right now!

Rolling 12 months passenger total: 1,354,868 DOWN 10.5%

I had to highlight the downs as we getting to the stage that someone at CWL needs to do a bit of soul searching and put a plan in place to reverse this decline, surely they cannot continue to allow this to happen!

Cardiff was and can be a great airport again if someone with a future vision takes control, it will take time to convince airlines and passengers to commit to Cardiff once more, but it can be done.

alphagolf

 

[Aviador]

Good post alphagolf.

I guess during difficult times it's much harder to find someone with a"vision" to take the airport to the next level. The airport is in an awkward predicament because the falling passenger numbers will only make it harder to market the airport to potential new airlines. I think this may have been the reason for the apparent failure of Cardiff airport to entice Jet2 into operating from there. Airlines like to operate into successful airports even if this means there's going to be more competition.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Clearly the presence of other airports nearby, notably BRS and BHX, has added to CWL's dilemma.

South Wales is not a large catchment area and is broadly one of the UK's least prosperous.

Estimates suggest that between 600,000 and one million people starting or finishing their journeys in South Wales use Bristol Airport.

If CWL could get most of these people back they would return to their 2007 levels of 2.1 mppa.

The old adage that success breeds success is never more clearly demonstrated in the fortunes of the two Severnside airports.

The snag is that BRS has a larger and wealthier core catchment, both business and leisure, and airlines seem to judge that they can make more money from there than at CWL.

Simply put, the thinner routes from BRS need less topping up from South Wales than similar routes from CWL would need from the West Country.

I think it's also generally accepted that the calibre of CWL's owners and senior management (though in fairness the latter might be held in check by the owners) compares poorly with their counterparts at BRS.

 

[Aviador]

It's a vicious circle for Cardiff airport. Passengers are starting to get used to using other airports as the norm. It only takes doing something three times to form a habit, so the longer the Cardiff airport flight drought goes on the harder it is going to be to claw back passengers and while other airports in the region are performing well, it only encourages airlines to increase services from those airports as opposed to risking starting new flights from Cardiff.

What Cardiff airport needs is a local businessman with a vision and deep pockets. He needs to look to Europe, not transcontinental. The local airport supporters need to be realistic, days when the likes of Fly Globespan operating to far flung places has well gone.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The feeling grows and grows amongst those in Wales concerned with the plight of their main airport that the owners (Albertis-owned TBI) have done far too little in recent years to arrest its decline.

The CWL management's main response seems to be to blame the Welsh population for not using CWL and at the same time they appear to expect public money be pumped in to resurrect it.

If the airport provided services the public would probably use them but it would mean Albertis investing some substantial cash of their own which they appear very reluctant to do.

A group of frustrated CWL supporters has now begun an online petition on social network sites and elsewhere on the net demanding that steps be taken to provide the capital city with a decent airport.

 

[Aviador]

Cardiff airport pasenger numbers drop: What next?

Albertis TBI don't even seem too bothered about expanding the airport and the local community in Cardiff seem more up on what's going on with the airport than they do. I guess the problem for Albertis is they would probably have to sell the airport for less than they paid for it given all the airports recent failings. So despite probably wanting to offload Cardiff airport onto another operator (or even the Welsh government ?) they can't because they will stand to lose too much.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

June 2011

The near 4-year long continuous fall in passenger numbers continued in June according to CAA stats.

140,934 passengers were handled, down 13.4% on a year ago. Atms were down 10.2% suggesting loads also slightly lower generally.

Rolling 12-month total was 1,333,059, down 10.6% on a year ago.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

July 2011

It's a stuck record, though I wonder how many posters remember gramophone records. :dunno:

CAA stats show 150,563 passengers used the airport in July 2011, down 11.7% on July 2010. Atms were down 8.3%. Rolling 12-month total was 1,313,176.

There are rumours of an important announcement concerning CWL so perhaps at long last the seemingly never-ending monthly drop in passenger figures might be arrested if the news is positive.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

August 2011

CAA stats show another disappointing month with 152,039 passengers handled which is down 14.2% on August 2010. Atms were down 7.4%, not a good sign having regard to the percentage passenger drop.

Rolling 12-month figure was 1,288,109, down 11.1% on a year ago.

This is the first time a 12-month figure has fallen below the 1.3 million barrier since the late 1990s.

 

[Aviador]

Hi Planenut321 good to see you back on Forums4airports, you're most welcome.

Am I right in thinking many of these reductions are on Thomson routes as well? That is worrying considering Thomson are the main holiday route carrier now.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

September 2011

CAA stats show the familiar picture of continuing passenger number declines.

143,131 passengers were handled, down 11.6% on the previous September, with atms down 6.1%.

Rolling 12-month figure was 1,268,908, down 11.2% on a year ago.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

October 2011

CAA stats show 112,084 passengers used the airport in October 2011, down 17.3% on October 2010. Atms were down 8.9%

Rolling 12-month total was 1,245,518, down 12% on the same period last year.

 

[Aviador]

October 2011

CAA stats show 112,084 passengers used the airport in October 2011, down 17.3% on October 2010. Atms were down 8.9%

Rolling 12-month total was 1,245,518, down 12% on the same period last year.

Heck. A reduction was expected but that is just shocking. :shok:

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Heck. A reduction was expected but that is just shocking.

The winter looks very, very thin. Darkest before the dawn perhaps.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

DfT forecast for UK airport passenger numbers in 2020 and 2050

I'm a bit surprised that no-one has picked up on the post I did recently in the Aviation Industry forum regarding the DfT's forecast for UK airport passenger figures for the years 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050.

I reproduced the figures for 2020 and 2050 for the current top 20 airports.

Perhaps the Aviation Industry forum is not well visited so I thought I'd mention the individual airport figures in the forums of the more popular airports on forums4airports.

The Dft is forecasting sparse growth until 2020 at many regional airports.

Cardiff Airport is forecast to be handling 1 mppa in 2020 and and between 3 and 12 mppa in 2050.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Why CWL is struggling for passengers

A glance at today's arrivals/departures board shows graphically why CWL is in such a mess.

From midnight until midnight there are only 15 passenger aircraft arrivals and 15 departures. The rest of the week is little better.

Of today's equipment there is one mid-size jet, three 80-seater jets and the rest turbo-props, two of which are 29-seaters and two 19-seaters. Destinations are all within 90 minutes' flying time, and largely domestic, except for the TOM flight to Tenerife.

The arrivals list is as follows with a reciprocal departures list:

0755 Eastern Newcastle Jetstream 41
0820 Flybe Glasgow DH-8-400
0830 Flybe Edinburgh DH-8-400
0950 KLM Amsterdam Fokker 70
1000 Manx2 Anglesey Dornier 228
1110 Aer Lingus Dublin ATR 72
1525 Flybe Glasgow DH-8-400
1645 KLM Amsterdam Fokker 70
1830 Flybe Edinburgh DH-8-400
1840 Eastern Aberdeen/Newcastle Jetstream 41
1845 Manx2 Anglesey Dornier 228
1910 Thomson Tenerife Boeing 737-800
1935 Flybe Paris Cdg DH-8-400
2020 Aer Lingus Dublin ATR 72
2135 KLM Amsterdam Fokker 70

5 Flybe
3 KLM Cityhopper
2 Manx2
2 Eastern
2 Aer Lingus Regional
1 Thomson

3 Amsterdam
2 Glasgow
2 Edinburgh
2 Dublin
2 Anglesey
1 Paris Cdg
1 Newcastle
1 Aberdeen/Newcastle
1 Tenerife

 

[TheLocalYokel]

November 2011

CAA stats show that just 51,784 passengers used CWL in November 2011, down 29.1% on November 2010. Atms were down 11.3%.

The rolling 12-month total was 1,224,204, down 13.1% on a years ago.

The four years of unabated monthly passenger decreases continues but it's no surprise given that bmibaby has now gone from the airport.

In 2007 the airport was handling 2.1 million passengers but has lost over 40% of this number since then.

 

[Aviador]

Graphic indeed. Your illistration reminds me of LBA back in the winter months through the late 80's, early 90's or evrn worse.

Cardiff airport just seems to be digging itself a deeper pit to climb out of.

Hopes must be pinned on Flybe making some expansion from there to regain any lost ground.

I fear the airport has set itself back decades. It will definately need to cling onto what it has left if it is to secure it's long term future.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Hopes must be pinned on Flybe making some expansion from there to regain any lost ground.

I fear the airport has set itself back decades. It will definately need to cling onto what it has left if it is to secure it's long term future.

I've long felt that Flybe has the right sized aircraft for CWL. Whether the airline thinks the current economic climate is the right time to expand from the airport is another matter.

The airport will have to increase its passenger numbers by well over 60% just to get back where it was four years ago.

The Wales Assembly Government hinted recently that it might be interested in buying into CWL if the opportunity arose. Where it would get the money from is another matter.

If it did become a part owner it might get around the problem of funding routes though it might face problems if its actions were deemed anti competitive.