Cardiff: Qatar Airways, will it return?

[gulftraveller]

Why is Qatar in any way linked to KLM at Cardiff ?

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Why is Qatar in any way linked to KLM at Cardiff ?

Competition for Asia/Australia connections.
Although when QR previously operated, it had little affect on KLM

 

[Jerry]

"Mr Cairns met His Excellency, Akbar Al Baker to discuss Qatar Airways future plans, including their return to Cardiff.
Mr Al Baker confirmed to Mr Cairns that there are plans to return to Cardiff Airport by the end of the year."

Major global airline announce plans to fly from Cardiff airport again

Cardiff Airport has received a boost today after news broke that one of the world's largest airlines plans to return by the end of the year.

www.southwalesargus.co.uk

 

[Tinkerman]

Excellent news - I guessed this was on the radar, Winter 2023 would be a good time to relaunch. Given that this has been made public now, it can’t be long before it’s put on sale to get a good booking window.

It will be interesting to see in what shape it returns first and foremost in terms of frequency and aircraft.

 

[Jerry]

Excellent news - I guessed this was on the radar, Winter 2023 would be a good time to relaunch. Given that this has been made public now, it can’t be long before it’s put on sale to get a good booking window.

It will be interesting to see in what shape it returns first and foremost in terms of frequency and aircraft.

I'd have thought Summer 2024 would be more likely with a good year of flights onsale but either way it would be a good boost too see the service back.

 

[geoff]

Just what CWL needed, it would be a great boost for the airport.

 

[Tinkerman]

I'd have thought Summer 2024 would be more likely with a good year of flights onsale but either way it would be a good boost too see the service back.

The article states that it will be re-launched in 2023, so i’m guessing that means the service will resume at some point in 2023? Winter is a good time because a lot of the connections from DOH are “In-season” throughout Asia, Australia, NZ etc.

Given that we’re in June now, some time around November/December is what they must be aiming for.

 

[Jerry]

The article states that it will be re-launched in 2023, so i’m guessing that means the service will resume at some point in 2023? Winter is a good time because a lot of the connections from DOH are “In-season” throughout Asia, Australia, NZ etc.

Given that we’re in June now, some time around November/December is what they must be aiming for.

Could relaunch mean go onsale? It just doesn't seem a long lead time for what are expensive flights/holidays.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

QR announced in March that it was restarting BHX on July 6th.
Sometimes I get the feeling Airlines like QR and EK are more about utilising their huge fleets and PR on growth than actually making money.

 

[Jerry]

QR announced in March that it was restarting BHX on July 6th.
Sometimes I get the feeling Airlines like QR and EK are more about utilising their huge fleets and PR on growth than actually making money.

They are part of their home states political and diplomatic apparatus as well especially where it comes too soft power.

 

[Jerry]

It'll be interesting too see if this agreement was renewed given the Welsh government climate change stance.

Ministers pay £1m to Qatar Airways to market Wales

The Welsh Government had previously refused to release the value and structure of the contract.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[gulftraveller]

I hope I am wrong, but in this part of the world, people have a habit of saying what the audience wants to hear so celebrations should await the arrival of the first flight. It was a poor performer last time round. Let’s hope it can do better and survive without tax payers’ money subsidising it.

 

[forest1979]

I don’t understand it.. there is little confidence in CWL yet Qatar are willing to go back on what was a less than excellent performing route…
Shows the persuasive arm of politics.
Bristol are a better fit for Qatar in my opinion, that said their size and physical restrictions around cargo etc doesn’t help their case…

 

[Jerry]

I don’t understand it.. there is little confidence in CWL yet Qatar are willing to go back on what was a less than excellent performing route…
Shows the persuasive arm of politics.
Bristol are a better fit for Qatar in my opinion, that said their size and physical restrictions around cargo etc doesn’t help their case…

If the route was a bad performing one as claimed then why possibly going too bring it? Maybe it's not as bad as some make out? Or as a hub airline they're thinking differently to a point 2 point airline? It's interesting no one questions why KLM operate from Cardiff or if they are profitable but do with Qatar. The route was also in it's infancy when suspended due too Covid.

Bristol doesn't have a cargo operation and as stated before the runway is a potential factor in putting them off operating from it. Even TUI have pulled long haul from BRS for whatever reason they have. Also why haven't other airlines like Etihad or Turkish launched BRS? Emirates don't have the aircraft capable.

As for the persuasive arm of politics yes that's a factor because that's what governments are supposed to do, too go out too attract investment, trade, tourism and transport connections to other parts of the world for your country or part of it. It's a shame that the persuasive arm of politics doesn't work on Easyjet!

 

[geoff]

Well said Jerry, there are so many people out there who would like to see CWL go under. As you say, I don't think the route did as badly people want to make out, and yes cargo is a big factor to airlines like Qatar, which is where BRS are at a disadvantage, and of course its shorter runway.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Hopefully QR could see the potential in its growth.
Didn't it only operate for around 18 months? Slow start yes, but maybe it was comparable to other routes QR have that are slow in growing.
There is obviously a big political push for it and its probably about more than just the flight for the Welsh Government.

 

[Jerry]

Well said Jerry, there are so many people out there who would like to see CWL go under. As you say, I don't think the route did as badly people want to make out, and yes cargo is a big factor to airlines like Qatar, which is where BRS are at a disadvantage, and of course its shorter runway.

I think a lot of it is too do with the perception of CWL in that on the UK scale it is a small regional airport no different too Teesside or Exeter so for many it doesn't look logical (or right in some opinions) that an airline like Qatar should operate from Cardiff especially when there are bigger more successful airports that don't have such services, but CWL is also the only international airport in Wales that's government owned which put's a different dimension on routes like Doha etc. If the route resumes it will be interesting too see if the marketing deal (which was to advertise Wales as a destination and partly funded by Qatar) resumes or is renewed or doesn't happen at all given that we've got a more climate conscious Welsh government now.

 

[forest1979]

Fair points made.. let’s see if they come back. I don’t want too CWL go under, it would have been great many years ago to have thought more strategically about a west of England/wales hub..
I think with Bristol’s recent expansion support (albeit capped at 12m) it will be hard fir the likes of Exeter and CWL to compete…

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Fair points made.. let’s see if they come back. I don’t want too CWL go under, it would have been great many years ago to have thought more strategically about a west of England/wales hub..
I think with Bristol’s recent expansion support (albeit capped at 12m) it will be hard fir the likes of Exeter and CWL to compete…

I always try and look at it with a degree of optimism.
It's definitely struggling and has continued to experience what could be described as "bad luck".
If Covid not happened QR might still have been around.
Had Thomas Cook and Flybe not gone under.
Whether Wizz were on the cusp on opening before Covid is an unknown, but if they were going to open even with TCX and BE around, the picture may have been very different.

The passengers are there. CWL will never be close to the size of BRS, but it's a case of getting Airlines in that can offer competitive prices to win people back. 2m passengers should be achievable. The main decider for those using BRS is that generally (Not always), BRS is cheaper because it has more competition.

That being said there aren't many options left of Airlines that can do that. Ryanair is probably the main option, and CWL is seeing slow growth from them. There's still rumour of something more for 2024, but I think we all know what CWL's rumour mill is like!

 

[Jerry]

Fair points made.. let’s see if they come back. I don’t want too CWL go under, it would have been great many years ago to have thought more strategically about a west of England/wales hub..
I think with Bristol’s recent expansion support (albeit capped at 12m) it will be hard fir the likes of Exeter and CWL to compete…

Yep the expansion for Bristol is going too effect both airports but i think as well both are probably hoping that the competition will encourage Ryanair and TUI too add more to their airports rather than at Bristol and with Qatar at CWL that'll give people another option of using CWL instead of BRS. Another thing is the cargo factor which Qatar Airways is such a key component for too help the airport diversify and be less reliant on passenger related revenue.