CAA Provisional Statistics Update

[Aviador]

At last, are we finally going to see the passenger numbers bottom out?!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

At last, are we finally going to see the passenger numbers bottom out?!

Short of something catastrophic 2012 has looked for most of the year as the base, mainly because the bmibaby effect would drop out of the calculations at the end of October.

I'm not saying the rest of the winter is going to be anything to write home about but, all things remaining as arranged and publicised, summer 2012 should see a bit of momentum, though nothing spectacular.

Then when the airport is nationalised who knows................................................?

 

[Aviador]

Could this be a political ploy to gain support? I mean with passenger numbers almost certain to bottom out, the only way should be up for Cardiff airport now. Any gain in passenger numbers under public ownership bring political gains even though little work would be required to provide relatively large percentage gains. However, If the airport were to encounter further unforeseen route or airline losses under public ownership it would face serious problems not just financially but politically.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's not the council that wants to buy CWL, it's the Wales Government (WG).

Their idea is to buy it - the First Minister says the funds are in place - then have an airport company run it on the WG's behalf.

The FM believes the WG can share profits with whoever they appoint to run the airport but any losses would fall completely to the WG's partner. Nice work if you can arrange that sort of thing.

The FM says there will be no public subsidies but of course as owners the WG will invest money into the airport. Politicians can always be inventive with accounting and budget dispersement and it doesn't take an accountant to suspect that subsidies could easily be hidden amongst what appears to be genuine investment by the owner (the WG) if the WG is of a mind to do it.

Bristol Airport management fears there might be unlawful subsidies and one has to think they might have a point.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

December 2012

CAA stats show encouraging figures for the month.

In December 43,808 passengers were handled, up 1.6% on December 2011, but importantly this was achieved in the face of a 6.1% fall in atms.

Rolling 12-month total, also the annual total for 2012, was 1,013,386.

This the second sucessive month that CWL saw small percentage rises in passenger numbers but, whereas November was on the back of a later half term, that cannot be said of December.

CWL has seen successive annual falls in passenger numbers in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and now 2012.

However, it can be said with some confidence that 2013 will see a gain - it may be modest but any rise is welcome after such a long and dismal period.

January might be flat or even down a touch but when the additional flights (compared with 2012) begin to kick in from the end of March the rise in numbers proper will start.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

CAA stats January 2013

38,362 passengers used CWL in January 2013, 2.4% down on January 2012. As atms were down 7.4% and the snow had its negative effects on the airport, as it did all over the UK, this can be viewed as a very satisfactory result and points to at least some gains in the summer months ahead.

Rolling 12-month total was 1,012,461 which is down 14.8% on a year ago.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

February 2013

CAA stats show 45,761 passengers were handled at CWL in February, down 10% on February 2012. Atms were down 9%. Rolling 12-month total was 1,007,361, down 14.2% on a year ago.

At first sight this seems a bit of a setback after recent optimism that the bottom had been reached after so long. In reality though monthly growth was not expected until at least March and then on through the summer with the expanded Vueling programme and other more minor additions being the drivers.

The leap year factor also accounted for about 3% of the reduced passenger figures in February.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

March 2013

CAA stats show that 55,301 passengers passed through the CWL terminal in March which was a drop of 18.4% on March 2012. Atms were down 11.7%. Rolling 12-month figure was 994,885, down 14.9% on a year ago.

The last time CWL experienced a 12-month period with fewer than one million passengers was in 1994/1995.

I have to admit that the scale of the percentage drop in March surprised me and the fact that atms were down 11.7% is disappointing as it suggests that flights were less well filled.

I'm still confident that the summer will see monthly passenger rises possibly as soon as April, but perhaps I was over-optimistic as to the scale. Time will tell.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

CAA stats April 2013

My optimism for April was clearly misplaced but I failed to take sufficiently into account Easter that began in March and the later starting of some summer charter routes.

Nevertheless, the 12.6% decline in passenger numbers to just 55,165 for the month cannot be completely explained by these mitigating factors, especially as atms were down only 6.8%.

The rolling 12-month total has dropped to 986,937, down 14.2% on a year ago.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

CAA stats May 2013

At long last the much anticipated beginning of CWL's 2013 recovery has begun to show signs of life.

In May 108,282 passengers were handled, up 8.7% on May 2012, with atms up 2.2% Rolling 12-month figures was 995,562 down 10.6% on a year ago.

The earlier start to VUeling's Spanish services was mainly responsible although some of the other routes chipped in as well.

It can be confidently predicted that CWL will see growth each month for the remainder of this year.

 

[Aviador]

That;s really good news for the airport and it shouldn't take too long to take the airport back over the magic million mark. There is still a reliance on Vueling to provide the additional traffic growth so the airport managers will need to work hard to get new operators on board.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I would not be at all surprised to see Vueling consolidating its presence at CWL in the near future. A year-round presence on one or two sun routes would be the start.

The new management (in fact, some of the 'old guard' who have returned and who performed well before the previous owners put in some financial restrictions) will be working very hard on this.

I was at BRS again today and passengers were pouring off coaches of Welsh companies so there is some meat for the management to get its teeth into.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

June 2013

As some of us anticipated back in the winter the growth at CWL would begin in the summer months and June, like May, is proof of this.

In June 128,148 passengers used the airport, up 9.5% on June 2012. Atms were up 4.4%.

The rolling 12-month figure was 1,006,643, down 7.6% on a year ago.

So CWL is now back over 1 mppa after a few months below it.

The main driver is Vueling and, as has been said previously, don't be suprised if this airline builds on its CWL presence.

 

[Aviador]

Good to see things gradually improving and it's good to see the passenger figures crossing the million milestone again.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Good to see things gradually improving and it's good to see the passenger figures crossing the million milestone again.

And watch the politicians (one in particular) claim credit for reversing the trend by purchasing the airport for the state when everything was in place for this recovery beforehand (ie, mainly the bmi baby figures dropping out of the calculations and Vueling operating a larger season than in 2012).

 

[TheLocalYokel]

CAA stats July 2013

134,027 passengers were handled in July 2013, up 5.9% on July last year. Atms were up 3.3%.

Rolling 12-month figure was 1,014,104, down 4.9% on this time last year.

So the expected modest recovery continues and is on course to achieve the anticipated passenger numbers rise by the end of the year, which will be the first one since 2007.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

CAA stats August 2013

148,078 passengers used the airport in August, up 14.4% on August 2012. Atms were up 7.2%. Rolling 12-month figure was 1,032,742, down 1.1% on a year ago.

The welcome and impressive rise was mainly due to Vueling's increased services to the sun destinations. September ought to see the rolling 12-month total in positive territory.

 

[Em0866]

This is good news and showing signs of a slow improvement. I think it will be a long road before we can expect figures as to how they were in the 2m mark a few years ago, but I don't think it is impossible. Here's hoping.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's very encouraging E m. Obviously August is the peak month for travel to the Costas and the like but the figures give Vueling a reminder (I doubt that they need one but it's always good to show some proof again) that CWL has always supported the sun routes extremely well in summer.

The talk of Jet2 coming seems to have receded so with any luck Vueling will increase its offerings still more next summer and there's always a chance that someone else will turn up as well.

It's good to see the airport enjoying double digit monthly percentage rises after so long with double digit losses.

 

[Em0866]

I think Vueling can now see the strength in certain routes from CWL. With year round service to ALC and AGP is showing they have some confidence. These are building blocks to work on. It will be interesting to see if they, or any other airline will announce new routes for next year.....it is time to sit and wait.