Archive BH Air Balkan Holidays at Cardiff Airport

[Jerry]

Sad news 😢

Balkan Holidays ceases trading in the UK after nearly 60 years

All forward holiday bookings with the specialist have been cancelled

www.ttgmedia.com

 

[MrFenner]

Sad news 😢

Balkan Holidays ceases trading in the UK after nearly 60 years

All forward holiday bookings with the specialist have been cancelled

www.ttgmedia.com

Sad. But CWL has had a lucky escape on this rare occasion I guess.

 

[Samdorob]

Sad. But CWL has had a lucky escape on this rare occasion I guess.

I would say so. There was only a fairly limited summer programme and TUI has the route covered. Sad news nevertheless.

 

[Jerry]

Sad. But CWL has had a lucky escape on this rare occasion I guess.

Yeah they only offered a limited schedule and the airport has TUI on the route.

 

[Em0866]

I remember years ago Balkan Holidays offered weekend flights to Varna and Bourgas on their Tupolev 154 aircraft ona Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings during the summer months. This is sad that this long standing holiday company is no more. But as has been said TUI offer flights to Bourgas anyway so at least CWL aren't losing a route.

 

[MrFenner]

I remember years ago Balkan Holidays offered weekend flights to Varna and Bourgas on their Tupolev 154 aircraft ona Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings during the summer months. This is sad that this long standing holiday company is no more. But as has been said TUI offer flights to Bourgas anyway so at least CWL aren't losing a route.

Those were the days! It blew over multiple ramp equipment when it arrived.

I mean eventually it was banned by the EU but what a sight to behold that was!

 

[geoff]

The engines of the TU154, sounded a lot different to the western made ones, but it was quite an impressive aircraft, I also remember them at CWL.

 

[Nuffsaid]

I think I still have photographs that I took of the Topulevs at Cardiff, taken from the rooftop viewing terrace in the early 90’’s. If I find them I will upload.

 

[Sean123]

I miss that rooftop terrace, so many memories of my dad and my kids when they were young, we would there for hours

 

[Nigel B]

View attachment 32314

 

[geoff]

I can't help feeling, that CWL is missing out on ancillary financial benefit ,by having the rooftop terrace shut. I know the concern regarding security, but surely with all the cctv available these days, it could consider opening the rooftop terrace. Are there any other UK airports, with public access available to aviation enthusiasts or ordinary visitors to the airport? Another stream of revenue which is being lost, is with the Welsh regional rugby teams who are travelling to away games on flights from other airports. I know it is all about cost, but surely dye hard fans from cities as large as Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport, and the large area of support from the Llanelli region would be prepared to spend one night away supporting their teams. If the people responsible for booking the travel arrangements for these clubs, would charter larger aircraft for the teams transport, and sell the remainder of the seats to the clubs fans, the fans could enjoy a night away in places like Parma and Treviso. Leinster are able to do it, in fact there is a Ryanair flight in today with Leinster rugby.

 

[Jerry]

Are there any other UK airports, with public access available to aviation enthusiasts or ordinary visitors to the airport?

Heathrow Terminal 4 or maybe it's Terminal 2, one of them has observation terrace but it's airside so not available to the general public without them catching a flight. Manchester has a spotters area but no other UK airport that i know of has an official area.
I think in general UK airports probably just see planespotters as a nuisance rather than a potential revenue.

but surely dye hard fans from cities as large as Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport, and the large area of support from the Llanelli

The problem is that there's not that many die hard fans and these trips are costly it also doesn't help that Welsh rugby fans don't like the URC as a competition in general and prefer to save for the European trips to England.

Leinster are able to do it,

The difference is though Leinster are a team that's skint so can afford to charter the aircraft in the first place with no worries about whether they have to sell the seats to a group of fans that would rather go to Newcastle than Parma. It's just a sad indication of the state of the game in Wales which has seen my team go bust 😢 and be rescued by the WRU.