Cardiff: General Airport Discussion & Updates

[Nigel B]

Catchment area is much bigger agreed, but what about Cardiff as a destination, does Bristol handle many incoming passengers who are South Wales bound?

 

[Jerry]

Catchment area is much bigger agreed, but what about Cardiff as a destination, does Bristol handle many incoming passengers who are South Wales bound?

The problem is that Cardiff as a destination isn't that big and i think that is one of the challenges the airport faces. If i remember correctly pre pandemic 20% of BRS passengers were travelling to and from Wales. How much of that is tourist traffic and other inbound traffic idk. Cardiff did estimate pre pandemic that 25% of it's passenger numbers were inbound from outside of Wales.

 

[Jerry]

The Beer House is gone and the area has been revamped and the restaurant/bar been renamed Y Castell.

 

[Sean123]

Any pics jerry? I do like an early am pint before I jet off to sunnier climes!

 

[Jerry]

Sorry no pics at the moment. Only seen the news elsewhere. Just also seen that the official opening is 3/5/24 and the Llantrisant male voice choir will be part of that. I'd expect loads of photos then.

 

[Sean123]

Ah OK cheers jerry

 

[Jerry]

Nice too see Cardiff Airport still advertising at the Cardiff Arms Park. Hopefully some of the Edinburgh fans used the airport to get to Wales.
Qatar Airways also got a lot of advertisement at the game due to being a URC sponsor.
View attachment 30628

 

[Samdorob]

The Beer House is gone and the area has been revamped and the restaurant/bar been renamed Y Castell.

I’ll have to check it out when I fly in 2 weeks - I’m desperate for some warm weather!

 

[geoff]

The Hays Travel Group have bought the 29 travel agencies of Miles Morgan Travel, which are headquartered in Chepstow. The travel shops are situated throughout South Wales, and South West England. It might affect CWL, because Hays Travel tend to sell a lot of Jet2 holidays.

 

[Jerry]

Any pics jerry? I do like an early am pint before I jet off to sunnier climes!

Here's a few pics in the official launch tweet

https://twitter.com/x/status/1786421294981890552

 

[geoff]

Hays Travel shops are doing a lot of advertising, of the PLAY flights from CWL, including two centre holidays for Iceland and New York, and Toronto and Iceland, plus Iceland tours,, let's hope they are successful.

 

[Jonathan]

I've seen a few advertisements/articles advertising the new Play route to CWL on this (North American) side of the Atlantic too so hopefully we'll see some inbound passengers to Wales.

 

[Jerry]

CAERDAV will provide line maintenance for Avion Express

CAERDAV OPENS NEW DEDICATED LINE MAINTENANCE STATION AT CARDIFF AIRPORT

Independent UK MRO, Caerdav, has launched a dedicated line maintenance station at Cardiff Wales Airport, initially providing support for ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) operator, Avion Express.

caerdav.com

 

[MrFenner]

Definetly the same Marc Watkins

London Southend Airport’s secret - seven minutes from plane to train! - Air Service One

London Southend Airport’s secret - seven minutes from plane to airside

airserviceone.com

Seems this same Marc Watkins has been pivotal in getting EZY back at SEN!

Maybe his time at CWL was too short lived to have the desired effect.

 

[Jerry]

Seems this same Marc Watkins has been pivotal in getting EZY back at SEN!

Maybe his time at CWL was too short lived to have the desired effect.

I doubt very much he had any chance of attracting EasyJet to Cardiff. It was commented elsewhere that EasyJet have had to give back slots to BA at Gatwick and that Southend is effectively acting as overspill for Gatwick in that regard. EasyJet don't have that problem at Bristol. They sadly just aren't interested in Cardiff and don't want to fly from Wales.

 

[geoff]

There may come a time in the not so far off future, when BRS will reach its new capacity passenger limit, then some of the airlines will have to take a closer look at CWL. I've heard complaints from several local South Wales passengers lately, of overcrowding and delays at BRS.

 

[MJC73]

Bristol is a thoroughly miserable experience. Not enough seats to rest, interesting (weird) security gates and a total rip off to drop and collect passengers.

Cannot deny its a business success but customer wise I do all I can to give it a swerve.

 

[Samdorob]

I doubt very much he had any chance of attracting EasyJet to Cardiff. It was commented elsewhere that EasyJet have had to give back slots to BA at Gatwick and that Southend is effectively acting as overspill for Gatwick in that regard. EasyJet don't have that problem at Bristol. They sadly just aren't interested in Cardiff and don't want to fly from Wales.

I do wonder if they’ll ever run away based aircraft routes. From my understanding they don’t have as many bases around Europe as Ryanair.

 

[Jerry]

I do wonder if they’ll ever run away based aircraft routes. From my understanding they don’t have as many bases around Europe as Ryanair.

If they were inclined too then I'd have thought that they would by now. They have bases in places like Alicante and Malaga but don't seem interested in trying to attract Ryanair passengers from Wales that use Bristol by operating into Cardiff.
I don't even think BRS reaching it's passenger limit would even encourage them tbh.

 

[Nuffsaid]

The airport would do better to try and attract the likes of Volotea. It has become quite a success across Europe.