Cardiff: Infrastructure & Construction Updates

[Jerry]

Cardiff Airport has announced on twitter that terminal maintenance will start at midnight tonight and has advised people not to turn up before their check in time.
https://twitter.com/Cardiff_Airport/status/915094060490215425

I wonder if this is the start of the revamp that Roger Lewis mentioned on the radio?

 

[Aviador]

Cardiff Airport has announced on twitter that terminal maintenance will start at midnight tonight and has advised people not to turn up before their check in time.
https://twitter.com/Cardiff_Airport/status/915094060490215425

I wonder if this is the start of the revamp that Roger Lewis mentioned on the radio?

What exactly is it they're wanting to do?

 

[Jerry]

What exactly is it they're wanting to do?

The revamp is to make the departures area bigger, he said during the interview that the departures area will look different than it is now. Also they would have to expand check in as well to accomadate Qatar Airways and i'd hope they would install a new jet bridge on stand 7.

 

[Jerry]

In a recent interview the First Minister Carwyn Jones mentioned widening the runway.
Mr Jones said: “As far as the airport is concerned there is a lot of room to expand and there are no restrictions on operations. And we can widen the runway if we need to.
Does the runway actually need widening or did he get it wrong and he actually meant lenghtening the runway as i can't see what benefits widening it would achieve?
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/busine...d=932713&icid=EM_WalesOnline_Nletter_Business

 

[TheLocalYokel]

In a recent interview the First Minister Carwyn Jones mentioned widening the runway.
Mr Jones said: “As far as the airport is concerned there is a lot of room to expand and there are no restrictions on operations. And we can widen the runway if we need to.
Does the runway actually need widening or did he get it wrong and he actually meant lenghtening the runway as i can't see what benefits widening it would achieve?
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/busine...d=932713&icid=EM_WalesOnline_Nletter_Business

I've looked at SkyVector and this is a selection of runway widths:

Heathrow 50 metres
Birmingham 46 metres
Cardiff 46 metres
Manchester 45 metres
Bristol 45 metres

From this I can't see why CWL should need to be widened.

 

[Jerry]

I've looked at SkyVector and this is a selection of runway widths:

Heathrow 50 metres
Birmingham 46 metres
Cardiff 46 metres
Manchester 45 metres
Bristol 45 metres

From this I can't see why CWL should need to be widened.

I wonder if he meant lengthen it?

 

[Aviador]

Many airport runways have a hard shoulder similar to what you find on a motorway. He might be meaning something like that. I know it can be beneficial for wide body ops as it reduces FOD contamination from off runway surfaces such as grassed areas.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I suspect that he meant lengthen it too. If he is really serious about CWL becoming a significant long-haul player in the future the current length of just under 2,400 metres isn't that long. BHX lengthened their 2,600 metre long runway to 3,000 metres two or three years ago precisely so that they could compete with the big boys on long haul.

 

[Sean123]

Wasnt there some talk many years back (over a decade) about extending the runway to 10,000 ft that would have required a CPO of farm land , think it was tied in to some sort of cargo operation but nothing came of it

 

[Jerry]

Well the current runway is 7848 feet so if they want to pursue dedicated cargo operations and be capable of handling fully loaded 777s then they may want to extend the runway to 10,000 feet but it would be expensive and i'd say would need some sort of guarenteed operation like General Electric engines being regulary being shipped in and out of CWL and other heavy cargo as well. For that as well the airport would need a much bigger cargo centre than it has now.

 

[Jerry]

Some sort of work being undertaken at the airport. Wondering if it's the proposed meet and greet car park?
https://twitter.com/DTCivils/status/935803672210092032

 

[Jerry]

According to a poster on WAF 2 low loaders each with a jet bridge on have been spotted heading in the direction of Cardiff Airport!
On social media a post has now said they were delivered earlier today.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

Was spotted initially heading westbound prior to J32 of the M4. Both low loaders were then spotted in the layby nearest to the airport where the burger vans reside.

 

[Tinkerman]

Where was this on social media ?

I know it’s been timetabled in for some time and was a matter of when.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

Where was this on social media ?

I know it’s been timetabled in for some time and was a matter of when.

Just had a quick look at social media and couldn't find anything. In fairness I have said across various forums as soon as the Qatar Airways flights were announced that at least Airbridge 7 would have to be replaced.

 

[Jerry]

Where was this on social media ?

I know it’s been timetabled in for some time and was a matter of when.

It was originally posted on WAF and then I asked about it on a Cardiff Airport (not the official) enthusiasts/spotters Facebook page on which it was confirmed they had arrived. From what I've been told originally they were going to get brand new ones from Adele (which could still happen to replace the 3rd bridge) but as a surprise to many these 2 have turned up from Gatwick. It's been suggested they could be for stand 7 and 9
but whether that will happen i don't know.

Just a question to anyone really. Is there any other stands other than 7 9 and 10 that could be fitted with jet bridges?

 

[Tinkerman]

I don’t think so.

The cost of a new JetBridge is pretty expensive so i’m not surprised to see used ones rock up. Does anyone have any pics of what these look like ?

There is currently a huge event going on in Qatar with CWL and the WG promoting the route and the new office etc that WG have set up over in Doha, so i wouldn’t be surprised to see something announced today regarding these bridges - Ties in rather nicely.

 

[Jerry]

It may be possible that they intended to purchase new bridges and then saw the cost and settled for second hand ones. They should improve the passenger experience as well. Hopefully from a personal point of view they'll replace 7 and 9. Would be nice to board my flight to Amsterdam using a bridge.
Also another factor in them getting used ones is if they build a new terminal in the long run then they may get new ones then and maybe the WG might not have to pay for them.

 

[Jerry]

I wonder when they'll be installed? Someone reported that the Eastern VLY J41 was moved to the Echo apron on the weekend so maybe there was prep work underway then. I believe TUI arrives back from Barbados on the 10th December so i wonder if they'll be installed by then?

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

I imagine that these won't be a quick five minute job to install.

First they will have to remove the old airbridge, then take away the old supports, level the ground then tarmac it over to make it smooth.

Then they will have to install the new airbridge and test it as it should be fully drivable if I'm thinking of the correct design.