Cardiff: General Airport Discussion & Updates

[Jerry]

From September look out for cargo flights about 3 a week for how long I don’t know ,talking about this in work on Friday with the ramp boys one thing I can say it’s nothing to do with our Rain Forest Friends 😁, a bit more far east 🤔

So its definitely happening then?
I was tipped off a few weeks ago that the airport was working to gain regular cargo flights from a certain airline.

I'm not sure what the setup is and who the provider is but I think Teeside has recently gained a cargo flight a couple of times a week.

Its FedEx for Teesside. Its not the same carrier that I was told was a possibility.

Teesside Airport Secures FedEx For Freight Flights - Teesside International Airport

Hi res images attached FedEx, the world’s largest transportation company, has signed a five-year deal for an airfreight handling facility at Teesside Airport to meet growing import and export demand. FedEx is to relocate its cargo operation from Newcastle Airport to Teesside – bringing eight...

www.teessideinternational.com

 

[Aviador]

Is a new terminal out of the question? Does anybody think a purpose built new terminal allowing the airport operation to be streamlined would help it regain its market share in passengers? I've never flown from CWL but it looks like a very dated facity. The reason why I ask is If you turn back the clock to before a new terminal was built at BRS, the facilities there were poor. Following building a new terminal increases in flights seemed to follow quite quickly.

 

[Jerry]

Is a new terminal out of the question? Does anybody think a purpose built new terminal allowing the airport operation to be streamlined would help it regain its market share in passengers? I've never flown from CWL but it looks like a very dated facity. The reason why I ask is If you turn back the clock to before a new terminal was built at BRS, the facilities there were poor. Following building a new terminal increases in flights seemed to follow quite quickly.

A new terminal was part of Masterplan 2040. Whether the airport still has this in mind idk but I suppose with the new potential investment it could be a good time to revisit it and look at the possibility again.

Cardiff Airport - Our Airport 2040 – CWL

The official Cardiff Airport website for live flight information, news, airport parking, offers, booking flights & holidays.

cardiff-airport.com

 

[Samdorob]

So its definitely happening then?
I was tipped off a few weeks ago that the airport was working to gain regular cargo flights from a certain airline.


Its FedEx for Teesside. Its not the same carrier that I was told was a possibility.

Teesside Airport Secures FedEx For Freight Flights - Teesside International Airport

Hi res images attached FedEx, the world’s largest transportation company, has signed a five-year deal for an airfreight handling facility at Teesside Airport to meet growing import and export demand. FedEx is to relocate its cargo operation from Newcastle Airport to Teesside – bringing eight...

www.teessideinternational.com

Is it too commercially sensitive to ask who that new carrier might be? If so I’m sure I’ll soon see it listed on flight radar.

 

[Jerry]

Is it too commercially sensitive to ask who that new carrier might be? If so I’m sure I’ll soon see it listed on flight radar.

I was told in private. Hopefully it won't be too long before its all released.

 

[Jerry]

New electric vehicles for Cardiff Airport

Cardiff Airport - Cardiff Wales Airport welcomes six new electric vehicles as it continues to cut carbon emissions

<p>Cardiff Airport’s journey to reduce CO2 emissions continues as six new electric powered vehicles are added to its operational fleet. […]</p>

cardiff-airport.com

 

[Jerry]

Unfortunately bird strikes happen.

Wales fans' Montenegro flight from Cardiff grounded after bird strike

Fans are waiting to hear if their flight can be rescheduled after their plane flew into a bird.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Jerry]

Seems as part of its request for a report from the Subsidy Advice Unit the Welsh government has added a bit more detail to what it intends to spend the money on.



Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities
The aim is to invest in at least two new MRO operations centres, to be built on-site. They will be smaller than the existing facility operated with British Airways Maintenance Cardiff Ltd and forecast to employ at least 500 people, the majority of whom would be resident in South Wales.

General Aviation (GA), Fixed Base Operations (FBO) & hangarage
To make the most of the potential GA market, the Airport intends to upgrade some of its on-site facilities, with a focus on supporting the growth of existing local GA companies and increasing the Airport’s appeal to major event organisers. To support this, the Airport will also invest in enhancing its FBO centres for business jet activity.

Expanding FBO and GA services at the Airport will provide recruitment opportunities. Again, it is expected that most jobs created will be taken by people resident in South Wales and the range of jobs will provide a mix of very high skill, high wage roles together with more accessible roles.

Cargo
The Airport will invest in cargo centre enhancements and initiatives to increase the use of belly hold freight on hub flights. As well as benefiting regional businesses by offering shorter supply chains to new markets, higher cargo capacity will also require more handlers, so new local jobs will be created.

Lower carbon aviation technologies
There are clear tensions between owning an airport and tackling the climate emergency, but the WG sees the Airport as a means by which it can, over time, take action to lower the environmental impact of flights to and from Wales and generate more green jobs. One avenue to achieve this is via accelerating the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels at the Airport.

Air Route Development
The targeted air route development programme will concentrate on global aviation hubs and economic centres that are central to the WG’s wider economic growth aspirations. The route development programme also contains some provision for incentivising existing airline customers to expand their operations - especially those currently operating services to cities of economic importance - either through new routes, increased service frequency, larger aircraft, or some combination thereof.

Other capital investments, mainly in the form of terminal building upgrades, are included to enable the Airport to service the forecast number of annual passengers in a manner consistent with WG polices around sustainability and equalities (especially for disabled passengers). The Airport also needs to be able to cope with surges in demand linked to major events, many of which take place in the summer peak period.

Referral of the proposed subsidy to Cardiff International Airport Limited by the Welsh Government

The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has published its report providing advice to the Welsh Government concerning its proposed subsidy to Cardiff International Airport Limited (CIAL).

www.gov.uk

 

[Samdorob]

Seems as part of its request for a report from the Subsidy Advice Unit the Welsh government has added a bit more detail to what it intends to spend the money on.



Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities
The aim is to invest in at least two new MRO operations centres, to be built on-site. They will be smaller than the existing facility operated with British Airways Maintenance Cardiff Ltd and forecast to employ at least 500 people, the majority of whom would be resident in South Wales.

General Aviation (GA), Fixed Base Operations (FBO) & hangarage
To make the most of the potential GA market, the Airport intends to upgrade some of its on-site facilities, with a focus on supporting the growth of existing local GA companies and increasing the Airport’s appeal to major event organisers. To support this, the Airport will also invest in enhancing its FBO centres for business jet activity.

Expanding FBO and GA services at the Airport will provide recruitment opportunities. Again, it is expected that most jobs created will be taken by people resident in South Wales and the range of jobs will provide a mix of very high skill, high wage roles together with more accessible roles.

Cargo
The Airport will invest in cargo centre enhancements and initiatives to increase the use of belly hold freight on hub flights. As well as benefiting regional businesses by offering shorter supply chains to new markets, higher cargo capacity will also require more handlers, so new local jobs will be created.

Lower carbon aviation technologies
There are clear tensions between owning an airport and tackling the climate emergency, but the WG sees the Airport as a means by which it can, over time, take action to lower the environmental impact of flights to and from Wales and generate more green jobs. One avenue to achieve this is via accelerating the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels at the Airport.

Air Route Development
The targeted air route development programme will concentrate on global aviation hubs and economic centres that are central to the WG’s wider economic growth aspirations. The route development programme also contains some provision for incentivising existing airline customers to expand their operations - especially those currently operating services to cities of economic importance - either through new routes, increased service frequency, larger aircraft, or some combination thereof.

Other capital investments, mainly in the form of terminal building upgrades, are included to enable the Airport to service the forecast number of annual passengers in a manner consistent with WG polices around sustainability and equalities (especially for disabled passengers). The Airport also needs to be able to cope with surges in demand linked to major events, many of which take place in the summer peak period.

Referral of the proposed subsidy to Cardiff International Airport Limited by the Welsh Government

The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has published its report providing advice to the Welsh Government concerning its proposed subsidy to Cardiff International Airport Limited (CIAL).

www.gov.uk

I have no idea how much an MRO facility costs but I assume that would quickly swallow up the 200m. My guess is they would offer a grant to a company to help with setup costs.

 

[Jerry]

I have no idea how much an MRO facility costs but I assume that would quickly swallow up the 200m. My guess is they would offer a grant to a company to help with setup costs.

My guess is that they would provide the building, potentially discounted rent and then anything else the company provides. Obviously it depends on the size but where would smaller MRO hangars go on the site?

 

[geoff]

There was talk many years ago, when Monarch was a successful airline, they wanted to build an MRO facility, in the area near where the fire dump is at present.

 

[Jerry]

There was talk many years ago, when Monarch was a successful airline, they wanted to build an MRO facility, in the area near where the fire dump is at present.

They'd have to move the fire training area then though and isn't the radar situated there as well? So would a building effect that.
Only other site I can think of is up by the blue I circled. But any MRO hangar there would mean no new terminal as that's where the cargo area for the new terminal was to be put I believe.
View attachment 31239

 

[geoff]

They could possibly extend the terminal where stands 12-17 are, and build new stands where there is grass at the moment, but I think all this, is way in the future, as the airport will have to get well over 2 million first.

 

[Jerry]

They could possibly extend the terminal where stands 12-17 are, and build new stands where there is grass at the moment, but I think all this, is way in the future, as the airport will have to get well over 2 million first.

Well Masterplan 2040 had a new terminal proposed roughly to the north of the current one. I generally don't see a new terminal until the airport either is profitable or closer to 2 million passengers.

 

[Em0866]

Although nothing to do with CWL, I saw this report on Swansea Airport, thought I'd post for info.

New Operator for Swansea Airport

The Swansea Airport Stakeholders’ Alliance (SASA) has started work at the facility after high-level talks with land owner Swansea Council. SASA has taken

businessnewswales.com

 

[Jerry]

Cardiff Airport Summer 2025 so far looks like this
27 destinations, 95 weekly departures and 7 airlines
Aer Lingus Regional 1 destination, 7 weekly departures
Belfast City 7 weekly
Balkan Holidays 1 destination, 1 weekly departure
Bourgas 1 weekly
KLM 1 destination, 20 weekly departures
Amsterdam 20 weekly
Loganair 1 destination, 5 weekly departures
Edinburgh 5 weekly
Ryanair 5 destinations, 13 weekly departures
Dublin 4 weekly
Alicante 3 weekly
Malaga 3 weekly
Faro 2 weekly
Tenerife South 1 weekly
TUI 22 destinations, 46 weekly departures
Palma de Mallorca 5 weekly
Tenerife South 3 weekly
Dalaman 3 weekly
Antalya 3 weekly
Enfidha 2 weekly
Bourgas 2 weekly
Larnaca 2 weekly
Paphos 2 weekly
Corfu 2 weekly
Kos 2 weekly
Rhodes 2 weekly
Zante 2 weekly
Malaga 2 weekly
Lanzarote 2 weekly
Alicante 2 weekly
Ibiza 2 weekly
Menorca 2 weekly
Heraklion 2 weekly
Reus 1 weekly
Gran Canaria 1 weekly
Kefalonia 1 weekly
Dubrovnik 1 weekly
Vueling 1 destination, 3 weekly departures
Alicante 3 weekly

 

[Jerry]

The city you can fly to from Cardiff for half the price of a London train ticket

This must-visit destination has got it all, no matter what you fancy doing - and the best bit is that getting there won't break the bank

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[Nuffsaid]

Any news on the cargo flight announcement?

 

[Jerry]

Any news on the cargo flight announcement?

No unfortunately. I did see someone post a LinkedIn post from the airport about cargo opportunities but haven't heard anything else.
This is it. It's actually a survey

Cardiff Airport on LinkedIn: Fill | Freight Survey

Cardiff Wales Airport is exploring the air freight opportunity from Wales. Please complete the following survey to help us understand air freight demand from…

www.linkedin.com

 

[Jerry]

Airport and Welsh government officials getting a grilling from the Senedd public accounts committee.
Interesting that one member asked about Jet2.
‘Why no Jet2?’

Mike Hedges, a Labour MS who represents Swansea East, said: “I was at Morriston working men’s club and they said ‘why haven’t we got Jet2?’…. Is there something you’re not doing to attract Jet2 which flies from an awful lot of other smaller, regional airports?”

He suggested promoting KLM flights as a “jump-off point” from Cardiff to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, where you can fly to almost anywhere in the world.

Mr Birns told members the airport is in talks with Jet2 and other airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair but they do not yet see Wales as a significant marketplace to invest in.

“They’re fundamentally telling us they’re very happy serving the Welsh market from another airport…,” he said. “That is part of our challenge when we’re dealing with these airlines.”

Committee grills officials over £206m Cardiff Airport plan

Chris Haines – ICNN Senedd reporter Senedd members pressed officials about Cardiff Airport’s performance and the Welsh Government plans for a £206m taxpayer-funded subsidy. Natasha Asghar, a Conservative member of the Senedd’s public accounts committee, quizzed officials about the ten-year...

nation.cymru