Latest News
Here at Cardiff Airport Parking we will bring you some interesting stories about Cardiff Airport, which we hope you will enjoy:
Flybe Greets its 500,000 passenger at Cardiff Airport February 24 2010
FlyBe welcomed its 500,000th passenger at Cardiff airport yesterday, with a presentation to Bridgend resident John Marsden. Mr Marsden flew in from Edinburgh and was greeted with a certificate and bottle of champagne to commemorate the milestone. The domestic airline has been flying from Cardiff for only 22 months and connects the city to Aberdeen, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, Newcastle and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Mike Rutter, Flybe's Chief Commercial Officer, said: "We were delighted to celebrate our 500,000th passenger from Cardiff less than two years after starting services from the airport where, despite the wider economic challenges thrown at everyone last year, we were the only scheduled airline to show growth.We remain 100% committed in continuing to develop our regional services to and to providing the widest, most convenient and affordable travel to and from Wales.”
A pretty impressive performance by FlyBe at Cardiff Airport in only 22 months.
New Radar Tower for Cardiff Airport February 20 2010
A new radar Control Tower is being installed at Cardiff Airport.The new, state-of-the-art equipment is being repositioned in order to comply more fully with the Civil Aviation Authority requirements.The new radar will be erected on the south side of the airfield adjacent to the fire training ground. The location has been selected to improve radar coverage for aircraft safety.
The radar head on top of the tower, andnew system will be turning from May/June for testing.The project will be completed by July, when the new radar will be fully operational.
Cardiff Airport to undergo a redesign project January 22 2010
Cardiff Airport has announced a £5m redesign project, as part of itsr £15m investment project.
Plans have been drawn up to extend the front of the terminal, link the arrivals and departures halls, and provide new food and retail services.Managing director Patrick Duffy said he wanted to "present a modern statement for the region" and boost business.
As part of the work the security control point to access the departures lounge will relocated to the first floor, above the existing arrivals hall, the airport said.The approach area in front of the terminal building will also be redesigned and landscaped.
The contemporary design of the development will both improve the overall image of the airport and provide a backdrop to continue delivering high standards of customer service for passengers, explained Mr Duffy.All changes would be in line with more stringent security regulations, he added.
"Our intention is to enhance and expand the airport terminal, present a modern statement for the region and increase our commercial activities," said Mr Duffy, who pointed out that the re-jig would come at a time when recession has hit air traffic hard.
Mr Duffy added: "The ultimate drivers of air traffic growth for Cardiff Airport - both inbound and outbound - will be airlines responding to increased economic performance in south Wales and increased visibility of Wales internationally.These are issues which can only be addressed as part of wider economic policy and industrial development in Wales."We are demonstrating our commitment at Cardiff Airport despite market conditions and we call on others, particularly the Welsh Assembly Government to now do their bit."
Other improvements to the airport terminal were completed in 2009 including the refurbishment of the east pier, covering departure gates 3-10.The first floor of the main terminal building was also refurbished.
Nightmare trip from Cardiff Airport January 13 2010
Wales online carries the following nightmare report
"PASSENGERS who endured a nightmare 42-hour wait to reach an alpine ski resort will be compensated, a tour operator said yesterday.
Around 200 passengers on a Thomson flight from Cardiff Airport were due to depart at 6.45am on Saturday and arrive at Chambéry, near the Val d’Isère ski resort in France, around an hour later.
But they didn’t get to the resort until around 2am yesterday morning after snowstorms sweeping across Europe led to a marathon journey that saw them diverted to Lyon before being sent back to Cardiff. From there they were flown to Milan before having to sit through a six-hour coach journey to Val d’Isère.
Swansea solicitor Fiona Griffiths, 48, who was among those who endured the trip, said after arriving in Lyon the plane sat on the tarmac for seven hours with the passengers forced to remain inside.
Ground staff at Lyon refused to allow the passengers off because airport authorities were trying to stop holidaymakers being bussed to resorts on treacherous roads.
Mrs Griffiths said though she, dentist husband Michael, 57, and daughters Alex, 11, and Charlotte, nine, were able to cope it was a very difficult experience for many other passengers. She said: “There were some very young babies on the plane, about a year old, stripped down to their vests and for a parent to be walking up and down a gangway trying to comfort a child is very difficult.
“We were hostages to the whims of the Lyon Airport staff and that’s the really annoying thing.”
After being sent back to Cardiff the passengers were given overnight accommodation at either the St David’s Hotel and Spa or the Park Inn.
They returned to the airport for a 6.45am flight on Sunday, but this was delayed until 8am, before the passengers again found themselves stuck on the tarmac until around 1pm because of bad weather at Chambéry. During this wait, 23 fed-up passengers simply abandoned their holiday and got off the plane in the Welsh capital.
The chaos had a knock-on effect on passengers due into Cardiff from Chambéry at 12pm on Saturday. These didn’t arrive in Wales until 5.45am yesterday morning following an overnight stay in Lyon and a bus journey to Milan."
Officials at Cardiff Airport are searching for a new operator to run regular flights to Florida after the collapse of budget airline Flyglobespan.
The Edinburgh-based company, which went into administration this week, had planned scheduled flights from Cardiff International Airport to Orlando Sanford Airport beginning next June.
The new service would have been a replacement for the popular Cardiff to Florida flights run by XL, which ended when the operators went into administration in September of last year.
Airline Zoom raised the prospect of reviving transatlantic flights from Cardiff with a Canada service but it collapsed in August 2008. Cardiff now has no scheduled transatlantic flights, only transfer links via its regular KLM flights to Amsterdam and occasional charter flights.
Sean Tipton, of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said the loss of the planned Florida flights was a major blow to Cardiff Airport’s transatlantic ambitions. He said the problems in the airline industry stemmed from passenger movements over the past year dropping 10% due to the recession.
Martin Evans, aviation expert with the Welsh Transport Research Centre at University of Glamorgan, said Florida “should be on the core holiday route of an airport the size of Cardiff”.
However, he said the loss of the proposed flights was out of the airport’s control.
He said: “I know the airport is working very hard to find a replacement operator. The problem is there are not too many operators you can think of at this time who would be prepared to step in. Cardiff to Florida was an extremely popular destination when XL was operating it, but they too suffered financial problems and it all came to a stop.”
A spokeswoman for Cardiff Airport said: “Florida is an extremely popular destination with travellers in South Wales and the airport is dedicated to finding another airline to operate this service in 2010/11. The airport will continue to talk to airlines about the opportunity which exists in Wales to cater for the strong demand for long haul services, and in particular the desire to travel from Cardiff to Orlando.“
The spokeswoman said it was not known how many people had pre-booked flights from Cardiff to Florida as the information was held by Flyglobespan.
Cardiff Airport issued this statement on its website yesterday: “Flyglobespan were due to operate an Orlando Sanford service from Cardiff Airport for summer 2010 which was due to start in June. Due to the airline going into administration on December 16 operations with the airline have been cancelled.”
Meanwhile, thousands of travellers stranded abroad were trying to get back to Britain last night.
As 800 staff with the Edinburgh-based airline faced losing their jobs, rival carriers stepped in with special offers for Flyglobespan passengers. Ryanair, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, bmibaby and Flybe were among them.
While passengers stuck abroad and those with forward bookings bemoaned their luck, aviation unions spoke of the “tragedy” of job losses.
Administrators for the airline’s parent company, Globespan, said they wanted to investigate why a “significant” amount of cash from credit card bookings did not reach Flyglobespan.
The airline flew from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen as well as transatlantic services from other UK airports including Manchester, Gatwick and Belfast.
Cardiff Airport Introduces Facial Recognition Gates November 16 2009
The BBC carries a very interesting article on technological innovations at Cardiff Airport.
"Cardiff Airport is introducing facial recognition gates for passengers at the arrivals lounge.
The new gates will be available for any UK or European adult with a biometric passport issued since 2006.
The machines are designed to take seconds to scan passengers' faces against digital photos in passports.
The voluntary system is being introduced in a trial at 10 UK airports and is already operating at Manchester, Stansted and Bristol.
The gates are being run in partnership between the UK Border Agency and Cardiff Airport.
'Positive'
Bob Lyne, UK Border Force assistant director for Wales, said: "Britain's border security is among the toughest in the world and by using new technology we are making the border even more secure."
He said the facial recognition gates at Cardiff would improve its service and help to make the UK safer.
Russell Clements, acting director of operations at the airport, added: "The e-passport gates will enhance the customer experience for Welsh passengers and inbound visitors alike by giving those who are able to use them a choice.
"The uptake of use since the launch has been positive with business travellers in particular opting for the more convenient e-passport gate option."
The e-gates will still check against security watch-lists in the same way as the usual manual gates.
Passengers will still be subject to random manual checks."
Cardiff Airport jobs under threat. November 6 2009
Flights from Cardiff Airport could be affected after a low cost airline announced plans to cut 158 jobs.
Short-haul specialists bmibaby aim to make the cutbacks from its workers at Cardiff, Birmingham and Manchester Airports.
Up to 54 pilot and 82 cabin crew positions at the three airports are at risk of redundancy and 22 management and support positions.
Bmibaby also announced it was reducing the number of aircraft in its fleet from 17 to 12 next year.
Managing director Crawford Rix said it was because the industry is facing its toughest time ever.
He said: “We have to focus our efforts and activities on routes and services we believe are the best fit for our business.” The carrier has started discussions with staff and union representatives with a view to minimising job losses.
Cardiff Airport has bmibaby flights going to Belfast International, Geneva, Edinburgh, Mahon, Palma, Barcelona, Alicante, Murcia, Malaga, and Faro.
Air transport expert Martin Evans, of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, said: “It looks like it will mean the loss of at least one plane from Cardiff.
“They had already announced a reduction of three to two planes for the winter and it is doubtful we will see its return.
“In the short term, this is very bad news for Cardiff but in the long term it is even worse.
“Unlike other regional airports, Cardiff no longer have a low-cost airline committed to growing routes and passenger numbers from their airport.”
Conservative shadow minister for the economy David Melding AM said: “This is worrying and disappointing news and of particular concern given bmibaby’s significant presence at Cardiff Airport.
“Cardiff Airport is the gateway to Wales for thousands of foreign visitors and provides vital direct links to destinations across Europe and the United Kingdom.
“Securing new routes and attracting new passengers to Cardiff is important if the airport is able to compete with local rivals such as Bristol.”
A Cardiff Airport spokeswoman said: “We were disappointed to hear today of bmibaby’s decision to reduce operations around the UK and at Cardiff Airport.
“We think it is a decision which does not reflect the strength of the Welsh market nor the opportunities we have presented to bmibaby over the years.
“We are already in talks with a number of other airlines about taking advantage of opportunities to serve the Welsh market and believe this announcement will actually encourage other airlines to consider Cardiff Airport.”
Demand Grows on Valley to Cardiff Airport route October 18 2009
LARGER planes are to be used on the north-south Wales air link to meet increasing demand for seats.The news came as it was announced that the service between Valley and Cardiff airports will be extended from next year until 2014.
Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport, Ieuan Wyn Jones said the Assembly Government will be re-tendering for the service, which began operating two years ago, to run from May 2010, and it will be expanded to provide at least 29 passenger seats on each flight. Currently the service uses 18-seater aircraft.He said: "Demand for this service has far exceeded our expectations and clearly demonstrates that it provides a valuable new way of linking up Wales."The ability to conduct business in one day is improving the efficiency of the Welsh economy."I’m delighted to announce we will continue to support this valuable service and it will have an increased capacity which will not only allow more people to travel but also provide greater flexibility for bookings."
In the first two years of operation over 28,900 passengers used the service.This exceeded expectations so that, with an 18-seat aircraft, load factors have been consistently high.
The next contract will have a maximum ticket price of around £56, including the Air Passenger Duty which is applicable to a larger capacity aircraft. The maximum ticket price will apply to 75% of the minimum seating capacity, allowing the operator some flexibility in setting fares for the remaining seats.The service will operate to a similar timetable as at present, with two flights a day in each direction from Monday to Friday.
Isle of Anglesey County Council is responsible for operating the Maes Awyr Môn terminal building.Council leader Clive McGregor welcomed the announcement.
He said: "The service has brought north and south Wales closer, enhancing both business and social links."It’s been fantastic to see so many people using the service during a relatively short space of time and I’m delighted to hear that not only has the service been extended for another four years, but a larger aircraft will be used on the route, providing additional capacity for further growth."
Steve Hodgetts, Cardiff Airport’s business development and commercial director added: "We’re pleased to hear the flights will be continued as it’s a great link between the north and south of the country, and has proved immensely popular with travellers over the first few years of operation."
Cardiff Airport sees passenger numbers drop October 3 2009
A SLUMP in charter flights from Cardiff Airport has seen it overtaken by Southampton as it drops to its lowest UK ranking for four years.
Nearly 300,000 fewer passengers travelled from the Vale of Glamorgan airport in the past 12 months compared to the previous year.
That 14% drop in traffic saw Wales’ biggest airport fall to 20th in the UK rankings, as compiled by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Cardiff airport has only fallen so low in the rankings once before in the past 20 years, for a brief spell during 2005.
Steve Hodgetts, the airport’s business development and commercial director, said a UK-wide fall in charter business and the loss of North American flights by operators XL and Zoom had caused the biggest problem.
He said: “I’m not going to get aggrieved about going from 19th to 20th. I would rather we would be in the top 10.
“I think that’s the sort of ambition we should be setting for Wales. It’s not about 19th or 20th.”
Mr Hodgetts said the airport is confident that the fall-off in traffic is “bottoming out”.
And he said the start of weekly flights to Orlando by budget operator Flyglobespan next May and increased charter flights to Egypt over the winter would start to rebuild passenger numbers.
In the long term, he said the airport would be working with the Assembly Government to promote the Welsh market and attract a major airline to Cardiff.
Mr Hodgetts said that several of the smaller regional airports, including Doncaster and Norwich, had also been badly hit by the slump in charter traffic over the summer, while Southampton had been less badly affected as it had more small, business services.
The figures for the 12 months to July show that 1,786,000 passengers flew from Cardiff during the year.
In comparison, passenger numbers from Southampton dropped less than 10% to 1,822,000.
Other airports Cardiff has historically been a close competitor with – including Belfast, London City and Leeds Bradford – also fell back.
But their growth over the past five years has outstripped the Welsh airport, and all cater for between two and three million passengers a year.
Learn Welsh at Cardiff Airport August 6 2009
MEDICAL staff have been given free taster Welsh classes in a bid to emphasise the benefits of speaking the language in the workplace.
Doctors and nurses at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales and the Vale of Glamorgan’s University Hospital Llandough were given a free bite-sized Welsh course arranged by the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Welsh for Adults Centre.
The free beginners’ taster course, which included online learning, e-mentoring and a lesson in the workplace, encouraged 89 staff members to sign up for further Welsh lessons.
Radiographer Helen Flower, who took part in one of the hospital-based Welsh sessions, said: “I’m finding that more and more people are speaking Welsh in the workplace so I think it’s important to know a little bit myself.
“I found the session today very useful and it has encouraged me to keep on learning.”
The Welsh Assembly Government funded-Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Welsh for Adults Centre has been providing courses to companies throughout the region for more than 25 years.
Similar free taster sessions were also held at the departure lounge in Cardiff Airport for both staff and holidaymakers last week.
The centre’s director, Rachel Heath-Davies, said: “Being able to use Welsh as well as English in the workplace is a great asset as it really improves the quality of an organisation’s service and enables them to reach more people.
“It also demonstrates to customers that you respect the Welsh culture and the communities that you serve.
“We really enjoyed going into the airport and the hospitals and the staff were extremely receptive and I think they took a lot away from the day.”
Emcor Group’s Facilities Services division has won a three-year contract renewal for essential maintenance and management functions at Cardiff Airport.
Emcor has provided M&E to Cardiff Airport since 2004 including maintenance of the terminal and all associated buildings as well as maintaining the airport’s runway and approach lighting systems.
Under the new agreement Emcor will also provide energy consultancy services to help Cardiff Airport meet its strategic energy reduction and environmental objectives.
Integrating energy consultancy into the new contract will enable Emcor to work collaboratively with Cardiff Airport to save energy, reduce its carbon footprint and deliver sustainable solutions to support the future growth plans of the airport.
FlyBe now the largest carrier at Cardiff Airport.
FlyBe has issued a press announcement announcing it is now the largest carrier at Cardiff Airport in terms of weekly aircraft movements, with more Flybe flights departing and arriving at the airport than any other airline or tour operator.
Flybe started operating to and from Cardiff two years ago and has since overtaken all other carriers to be the busiest airline at the airport in terms of aircraft movements, with 122 movements per week – ten more than previous front-runner bmibaby.
The airline now operates seven routes from the airport including Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, Newcastle, Paris and the recently launched Aberdeen service operated by its franchise partner, Loganair.
Flybe recently announced that, following the publication of the CAA April/May statistics, it is now confirmed as the UKs number one domestic airline, carrying more passengers in the UK domestic marketplace than any other airline with more than twice the number of domestic movements per week compared to nearest rival bmibaby.
Spencer Birns, Cardiff Airport’s head of air service development says: “We’re pleased to see Flybe’s consistent growth at Cardiff, offering Welsh passengers a wide range of routes and frequent flights to sought-after destinations in the UK and Europe.
“We hope travellers in South Wales will continue to use the services offered by Flybe in order to demonstrate the demand for routes from Cardiff to domestic and other short haul destinations. An increase in passenger numbers would encourage the airline to continue to grow its route network from Cardiff.”
Mike Rutter, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer adds: “When Flybe first entered the Welsh market in March 2008 with four new routes, we committed to becoming the biggest airline at Cardiff in three years - but we have now achieved this in just over 12 months!!
“This phenomenal success not only reflects the strength and success of our business model but also the fact that, in bucking the spiralling downturn of aviation trends, we have continued to add routes.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our increasing number of loyal passengers from Wales in helping us achieve this key milestone. Travellers from Cardiff can be assured that, by choosing to fly with Flybe, they are now not only travelling with the largest regional airline in Europe but also, as the UK’s number one domestic airline, Cardiff’s busiest!”
Flight to Cardiff Airport makes emergancy landing at Gatwick Airport July 24 2009
A runway at Gatwick had to be closed after an aircraft that had diverted to the West Sussex airport was forced to make an emergency landing.
The 46 passengers on board the Flybe flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Cardiff were safely evacuated from the plane, airport operator BAA said.
The aircraft was later cleared from the runway, which has now reopened.
A spokesperson for Flybe said the landing of the BE1432 flight followed a suspected technical fault.The airline said the diverted aircraft landed at 1226 BST local time, with emergency vehicles deployed by the airport as a precautionary measure.
Criticisms of Public transport in Wales. July 17 2009
Politicians make great play of the need for good, affordable public transport, along with improvements in road and rail services. However, a good deal of it is just talk. The BBC reports today:
"Important transport projects such as high-speed rail and road links between Wales and England are not being given enough priority, MPs say.
The Welsh Affairs Select Committee is calling for better co-operation between UK and Welsh ministers to create a joined-up public transport policy.
It also wants later timetabling of trains between south Wales and London to promote entertainment and tourism.
Both UK and Welsh governments say ministers are in close communication.
It suggested that high peak-time fares were discouraging people from leaving their cars at home.
Those passengers who did decide to take to the train found there was often insufficient rolling stock, especially at busy times.
Track upgrades
The committee said there had been only minor improvements to the service on the First Great Western main line, and the general level of service remained "unacceptable".
"If people are going to be persuaded to leave their cars at home and take public transport, then the services they use must be up to scratch," said the committee chairman, Dr Hywel Francis.
The committee's report on cross-border transport warned that important road links were not being funded as they were not a priority for English regions.
It also said trains were not good enough.
"Although we heard of some examples of good practice, for example in the north-east, too many opportunities for improvements are being missed."
Top of the list of priorities for the MPs is the electrification of the rail line between London and Swansea.
The committee said it would lead to significantly better services for passengers.
The report also suggested that later running of trains from south Wales would help promote entertainment and tourism in the area, something it said had been seen in cities like Bristol and in Yorkshire.
David Jones, the MP for Clwyd West, who is a member of the committee, said the freight industries in England and Wales currently operated as if they were in different countries.
"We were quite impressed with the Welsh road freight strategy. The difficulty is that it's not linked up with the English one," he said.
"And of course the big problem is that most heavy freight journeys either end or start in England.
"We are now arriving at the situation where the English department for transport and the Welsh Assembly Government are in some respects behaving as if they're in totally different countries and possibly in different parts of the world. And this is something we have really got to start addressing."
Both the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Welsh Assembly Government said rail transport was a vital issue for them.
"The government will be investing £15b in the rail network across England and Wales over the next five years, and we have been working closely with the Welsh Assembly Government to examine the detailed case for electrification of the Great Western main line between London and Swansea," said a DfT spokesperson.
'Closer working'
"We expect to make an announcement on this in due course"
But in their report, MPs were also unhappy at the way the DfT allowed regional authorities in England to take some decisions on road priorities.
It said it was not acceptable for the department to leave such matters to bodies with limited budgets and remits.
"The DfT, the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities on both sides of the border must review their priorities and ensure closer working," added Dr Francis.
The committee was also critical of public transport links to major airport hubs, such as Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.
Scrapped
It said that cross-border traffic could also be reduced if Cardiff airport served more destinations.
However, the mention of Cardiff airport in the report will be contentious, coming just days after it was announced that plans for a new airport access road in the Vale of Glamorgan were being dropped.
The area's MP John Smith said the decision was "economic lunacy" and a "reckless decision for the Welsh economy".
The Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones also announced on Wednesday that plans for a six-lane M4 relief road around Newport were being scrapped, after the cost rose to £1bn from its £340m estimate in 1998.
Responding to the MPs report, a spokesperson for the assembly government said officials and the Deputy First Minister continued to work closely with their UK counterparts.
"We also work closely with local authorities to improve planning and delivery of transport issues in Wales, for example in the development of the national transport plan," added the spokesperson.""
More cases of laser mis-use July 14 2009
TWO teenagers have been arrested and charged after lasers were shone at a police helicopter.
In two separate incidents, a green light was shone into the Eurocopter EC 135T2I helicopter which is used by both South Wales and Gwent Police.
Today, at about 1.35am, the helicopter was being used to hunt a thief when the laser was shone at it as it flew over Church Street, Aberbargoed.
A 17-year-old man, from Aberbargoed, has been arrested in connection with the incident and has been charged with recklessly or negligently causing an aircraft to endanger persons or property.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday evening at around 11.30pm, the helicopter was searching for a person wanted for stealing a car, in Roath, Cardiff.
The laser was once again deliberately shone at it.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested and charged with recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft.
South Wales Police and Gwent Police have now issued a safety warning.
Inspector Gary Smart said: “People might think that this is just a harmless prank, but they must realise that this kind of behaviour is extremely dangerous and could have fatal consequences.
“Shining a laser at an aircraft is extremely dangerous and puts lives at risk.
“We take this extremely seriously and will continue to take action to prosecute anyone carrying out this offence.
“The camera fitted to the aircraft is capable of locating where the lasers come from and identifying who has shone them at the aircraft.”
Police have also said they will prosecute anyone caught endangering any aircraft in this way.
Inspector Smart added: “Many of these laser lights have a strong beam which can cause temporary blindness or more permanent injuries, even from a great distance.
“The pilot and crew’s vision can be impeded putting their lives and the lives of people on the ground at risk.
“I would urge the public to come forward if they know of anyone involved in such activity.”
The incidents come after a failed asylum seeker shone a laser pen at a plane seconds from landing at Cardiff Airport was jailed.
Afghan Hossein Hosseiny, 21, lit up the cockpit of the Dublin-to-Cardiff aircraft carrying 52 people into South Wales, causing the captain a “momentary loss of concentration” on his final runway approach due to a “dazzling green light”.
Judge Eleri Rees jailed him for 10 months at Cardiff Crown Court.
andrew.dagnell@walesonline.co.uk"
Thanks to Andrew Dagnell for the story. There seems to have been a spate of these cases in recent weeks. Other incidents have been reported at East Midlands Airport and Aberdeen Airport. This moronic behaviour must be stamped out.
The BBC reports that two road schemes, including a link to Cardiff Airport have been dropped. July 12 2009
" Two multi-million pound road projects for south Wales have been scrapped because of their costs.
Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said the bill for a proposed M4 relief road around Newport had risen to £1bn from its £340m estimate in 1998.
Mr Jones, announcing a five-year transport strategy, also dropped plans for an access road to Cardiff Airport, which one MP called "economic lunacy".
Conservative AMs said the decisions were "depressing and disturbing".
Friends of the Earth Cymru said the six-lane motorway scheme through the Gwent Levels was a "victim of its own price tag in a credit crunch".
Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith said the decision not to go ahead with the airport relief road was "economic lunacy" and a "reckless decision for the Welsh economy".
Mr Jones, who also holds the transport portfolio, has announced plans for the M4 relief road in September 2007, saying the scheme, proposed to run from Magor to Castleton, could open in 2013."
All the more reaon to allow plenty of time for your cardiff airport parking.
FlyBe has issued a press statement, claiming it is now the number one United Kingdom domestic airline:
"The UK’s number one domestic airline and Europe’s largest regional airline, Flybe, just announced that it is the largest carrier at Cardiff Airport in terms of weekly aircraft movement. This means that Flybe has more flights arriving at and departing from the airport than any other airline or tour operator.
Flybe had just started operating to and from Cardiff about two years ago. However, over those two years, Flybe has flown by all of the other carriers to become the busiest airline at the whole airport. In fact, the airline has 122 movements per week. This is actually ten more than the previous front runner bmibaby.
Flybe now operates seven routes from the airport, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast City, Paris, Newcastle, and Jersey. However, their newest launch, which is Aberdeen, is the one that brought them up to seven routes.
On top of this, Flybe had just recently made public that, following the publication of the CAA April/May statistics, it is now confirmed as the UK’s number one domestic airline. This means that it carries more passengers in the UK domestic marketplace than any other airline. In fact, Flybe does have more domestic flights at Cardiff Airport than any other airline - more than twice as many as its nearest rival bmibaby.
Cardiff Airport’s head of air service development, Spencer Birns, said that they are very please to see how well Flybe is doing at Cardiff. It is now offering a very wide range of routes and frequent flights to destinations all over the UK and Europe."
Letys hope FlyBe continue their expansion at Cardiff Airport.
Protestors against new road to Cardiff Airport.
CAMPAIGNERS against a new link road to Cardiff Airport presented a petition to the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The No Ely Valley Airport Road (NEVAR) group, and Wenvoe campaigners, supported by Vale Plaid AM Chris Franks, gave evidence to the Assembly to say that the case had not been made for the access road.
Cllr Franks said: "I can see no evidence to support a link to the airport.
"The airport is reasonably served by transport links and certainly the airport is not complaining."
Three options for the route of the proposed link road include the following:
1. A road from the M4 at Junction 34 via the Five Mile Lane and continuing down a western bypass of Culverhouse Cross.
2. A corridor from the M4 at junction 33 via the A48 and the A4226, with a western bypass of Culverhouse Cross.
3. A route from the M4 at Junction 33 via the A4050 and including safety improvements to the A4226.
A decision on which route is planned, is due to be made by the Welsh Assembly on July 15.