Aviation_News_2017-03

The new services have been

complemented by the 2012 arrival at Cardiff

of Spanish low-fare airline Vueling (now

part of IAG that includes BA and Iberia).

It initially served Barcelona, Alicante and

Palma (Majorca), and a popular Malaga

service was soon added. Vueling uses

A319s and A320s on these flights.

Seasonal charter flights are an important

element of the Cardiff scene headed by

Thomas Cook Airlines which has had an

Airbus A320 based here for several seasons.

It also flies Airbus A330 charters to Orlando

and Cancun (Mexico) as well as European

‘sun’ destinations of Bourgas, Dalaman,

Fuerteventura, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Larnaca,

Menorca, Palma, Reus, Rhodes, Tenerife

South and Zakynthos. Other 2016 charter

operators were AlbaStar (Palma), BH Air

(Bourgas) and Air Malta (Malta).

New services from Cardiff for 2017 are

Blue Islands/Flybe to Guernsey (from May

2) and Iberia Express (Air Nostrum) using

a CRJ900 to Madrid (from April). These are

in addition to the Flybe announcing a Rome

service. Ryanair, which has been operating

a weekly Tenerife South to Cardiff flight since

October 2014, has also announced that from

March 27 it will add a seasonal, twice-weekly

Faro-Cardiff service. Norwegian flew a

weekly seasonal charter on the same route

during summer 2016.

One of the most controversial services

is operated by what is sometimes called

‘Ieuan’s Airways’. It was established by the

Welsh Government following devolution, and

was given its name after Ieuan Wyn Jones,

the minister who championed its cause. The

twice-daily rotation from Cardiff to Maes Awyr

Ynys Môn (RAF Valley, Anglesey) has been

contentious from day one – May 8, 2007

• because of low passenger numbers and
  the magnitude of the government
  subsidy, currently £2.4m per year.
  Several previous attempts to
  fly a commercial service between
  south and north Wales (usually
  using Hawarden in Flintshire)
  ended in failure. Operators
  included Air Wales (Piper Navajo
  Chieftain), Euroair (Islanders),
  Kraken Air (Piper Aztec) and Telair
  (Islanders).
  The first operator on the Public
  Service Obligation (PSO) route
  from 2007 was Highland Airways
  with a Jetstream 31. The company

failed and the route was taken over in 2010

by Manx2/FLM Aviation using a Dornier 228.

LinksAir then flew Jetstream 31s but in 2015,

following CAA identified “safety irregularities”,

there was a further change. North Flying

used Danish-registered Swearingen SA227

Metros and then in November 2015 current

incumbent Van Air (Citywing) took over, flying

Let L-410s.

Football and rugby airlifts are big business

with no shortage of charters ferrying players

and supporters. The national football team

had an amazing run in last year’s European

Championships and reached the semi-

finals. Now it is seeking World Cup final

qualification. Cardiff Airport can also expect

upto 50 additional flights bringing in fans to

the UEFA Champions League Final to be

held in the city on June 3, depending on the

clubs involved.

Rugby also accounts for huge numbers,

with Welsh clubs in the Guinness Pro12 and

European Cups. Teams from Italy, France,

Scotland and Ireland regularly play in South

Wales. The international Six

Nations tournament is a big air

charter generator, especially for

the ties in Cardiff with Ireland and

France. French rugby supporters

usually produce an additional

40 flights in aircraft ranging from

Beech 1900Ds to Airbus A330s.

Upwards of 5,000 passengers

arrive for the match.

Cardiff’s good weather record

frequently sees the airport in

winter accepting easyJet and BMI

Regional diversions from the fog-

prone, hill-top airport at Bristol.

Top right: The publicly funded twice-daily

service from Cardiff to Valley, Anglesey has

been flown using a Van Air LET-410 under the

City Wings name since November 2015.

Middle right: Thomson Airways uses a Boeing

787 Dreamliner or 767 on its winter charter

service to Bridgetown, Barbados.

Right: Cardiff Airport regularly hosts charter

flights for sporting events such as national

football and rugby team fixtures. This Corsair

Airbus A330 brought in French rugby fans.

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 59

CARDIFF AIRPORT PASSENGER STATISTICS

2007–2016

Year Passenger numbers Percentage increase/decrease

2007 2,111,148 +4.3%

2008 1,994,892 -5.6%

2009 1,631,236 -18.2%

2010 1,404,61 3 -13.9%

2011 1,208,268 -13.6%

2012 1,013,386 -16.1%

2013 1,072,062 +4.3%

2014 1,023,932 -4.7%%

2015 1,160,506 +13.3%

2016 1,346,000 +16.0%

Source: UK CAA and Cardiff Airport

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