NEW ROUTE TO MAHON FOR SUMMER 2009

The new service will operate from 21 May to 22 October 2009, on Thursdays and Sundays.

There is a catch though

Lisbon does is not bookable no more so I belive Mahon will operate in its place.

Considering Baby are reducing there summer programe elsewere, its good theres a replacement route. Plus its nice for once that Cardiff hasnt taken the hit of baby reductions.

"rolls eyes" - imagine my surprise! It'll be better for us all if Cardiff Airport goes bust and someone can pick up the pieces and start afresh, either there or somewhere else (with fast shuttle services to Bristol for those of us who don't want to go to Aberystwyth International Airport)

Rare overseas media 'exposure' for the South Wales Echo and Cardiff......

http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article2898057/Pilot-bricht-Landung-mangels-Qualifikation-ab.html

And plenty of replies from the online German reading readership.

The last time that I heard anywhere in Wales mentioned on German TV was an article on prime time Saturday night TV juxtaposing the Fat Duck restaurant (voted the UK's best) with the cheaper experience of a plate of baked beans in Wales....cue a guy dressed as a baked bean running along the street in Port Talbot.

http://www.captainbeany.com/


You couldn't make it up!

Cardiff airport should make more continental destinations not just european ones!!!!

well well well!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8474283.stm

£5m of a £15m strategic investment

going for it big time then!!!

I don't see a gaggle of pasty faced holidaymakers wearing flip flops and silly hats outside the main entrance having a fag on these artists's impressions!

I don't wish to put the boot in when the airport is down but judging by this snippet of news, Cardiff passenger numbers appear to be in freefall (24% year on year in December 2009!!!!!!!!!)

http://www.uk-airport-news.info/bristol-airport-news-300110.html

A fall of 24%. That must have been due to one of the regular customers dying last year.

Im sure its the recessions bite, not specifically the airport underperforming..

Still, not good news tho..

I am now positive that the Airport bigwigs are playing the long game. You just wait and see, 2011 will be amazing.

".....2011....CARDIFF AIRPORT CHOSEN AS EUROPEAN LANDING SPOT FOR SPACE SHUTTLE...."THIS JUST SERVES TO CONFIRM CARDIFF'S PLACE AS A TRUE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION" SAYS COUNCILLOR RODNEY BERMAN......"

I can totally see the benefit of the TV exposure "live from Cardiff Airport" as the US Team arrive.....but you've gotta laugh really haven't you?

It encapsulates the reality gap between what we want people to think about us (great links to the rest of the world etc) and what we know the airport actually is (19th in the league of UK airports with dwindling PAX and no direct flights to any major continental European cities except Paris and Amsterdam).

It's almost as if a civil servant on TEAM WALES 2010 has just realised:

'Oh fuck,we've ploughed millions of public money into marketing this as Wales (NOT England) WALES welcomes the US - and they're going have to fly into England

WELCOME TO BRISTOL AIRPORT, WALES

Wizard has been ridiculously, and pointlessly harsh.

It's a good news story for CWL.

Granted, it doesn't necessarily change it's fortunes hugely, but if you can't give credit where it's due, it kind of devalues any legitimate criticism.

Whatever happens, across the globe, Cardiff Airport will play host to what will probably be the number one global sports story that day.

James/Rhodri,
Guys, I did say in my previous post that “I can totally see the benefit (from the perspective of Wales getting mentioned in the PA and Reuters agencies) of the TV exposure "live from Cardiff Airport" as the US Team arrive”, and I’ll further add that it is unquestionably a great benefit to be hosting the Ryder Cup.

I just thought it rather telling that we have to issue a press release eight months in advance stating that following ‘an agreement’ the US team will be flying into Wales for the Ryder Cup.

I should bloody well hope so!!

Would we have expected them to have landed outside of Scotland if the Ryder Cup was at St Andrews?

Were we expecting them to fly into Dublin for a pint or two of the dark stuff and meet up with the ancestors before catching the Rosslare to Fishguard ferry?

Wales is the actual host country so why wouldn’t they automatically be flying into Wales without having to secure ‘an agreement’? We all know it's because there are hardly any flights to anywhere from Wales so this news is worthy of a press release.

I just suspect that the press release actually means:

‘Phew, despite having the crappiest air links of any capital city in Europe, we are mightily relieved that after having worked hard to market Wales to the Yanks as a place to do business and a great destination to visit, we have finally managed (in light of there being no scheduled services) to arrange a chartered aircraft to land in Wales (and to avoid possibly embarrassing questions from journalists on the day)’

James, as for it being 'a good news story for CWL' - it's pure window dressing! I just hope they don't turn up on a Sunday, the X91 only turns up every four hours if my memory serves me correct.

Have to say I agree with Wizard. I would actually prefer that they landed in London - there is a certain appeal to the idea of having to then set off for this mysterious place called Wales. It could be counterproductive when they discover Cardiff Airport.

I remember a few years ago when the shoelace bomber tried to blow up the airliner, many planes were turned back when in mid-Atlantic - some landed in Cardiff and it was then hailed as a coup for the airport - the celebrating soon crashed and burned when one US passenger interviewed on network news talked about being suddenly landed in "some rinky-dink airport".

I agree Wizard, you've made a good point there! Like you said, if it was being held in Scotland or England this sort of press release would not need to happen.

I do take Wizards point, but the fact is that it's not a bad news story, and it doesn't seem to be on the airports website, so I don't think they can be accused of putting spin on the story etc.

I hope the airport raises it's game for Ryder cup now. It's such a shame that the renovations won't be done in time. Nonetheless, they need to spend £20k or so making sure everything is spotless and clean.

I'd imagine if the US team were to use any number of regional airports in the UK (Bristol included) then they would prefer to charter a flight rather than rely on the scheduled services. The alternative would probably have been Heathrow.

Interesting discussion! However, I don't think it's a fair comparison to compare the Welsh Ryder Cup scenario with places like Scotland and Ireland though.

After all, Cardiff is just 2 hours away from the best connected airport in the world, while Glasgow and Dublin aren't. In other words, it would not have been unreasonable for the US team to fly to Heathrow with the Ryder Cup in the Celtic Manor but they couldn't do it even if they wanted to if the golf was being held in Scotland or Ireland.

So what do Scotland and Ireland have? They have better connected airports than Cardiff (due to their peripherality) but less connected airports than Heathrow. So in terms of connectivity, are they better placed than Cardiff/South Wales or not? Interesting debate.

Personally, I'd prefer to be 2hrs from Heathrow, especially with the elecrification of the train line and potential further upgrade to high speed rail with corresponding improvements at Reading station enabling direct trains to Heathrow from South Wales.

And if in the meantime Cardiff Airport can improve its positioning in the market-place, well done to them I say.

I don't wish to sound sarcastic, but whenever I make any comments about Cardiff Airport (and as many of the regulars on here know -I do bang on a lot about its shortcomings), I seem to get replies stating:

- how well connected Wales already is
- how great our proximity is to other airports
- how Wales is a 'special case' to everywhere else
- how the demographics don't lend themselves to Cardiff having a successful airport
- how the Welsh don’t fly as much as everyone else

If even half of these claims are valid then I’m beginning to wonder whether there’s any point in even having an airport in Cardiff. Shall we just shut it down then?

I believe Bristol airport is going to benefit from alot of Americans flying into it's airport for this Ryder Cup. They already have a daily flight with Continental airlines!!!

Apparently bmi baby are launching a service to Munich..

http://walesairnetwork.ning.com/forum/topics/mediapress-release?id=3505624%3ATopic%3A3743&page=35#comments

ALso it seems a dedicated bus service to cardiff city centre is looking more likely.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2010/03/11/airport-extension-plan-is-approved-91466-26006151/

The Munich flights are a welcome re-addition. These will be aimed at the winter ski market judging by the timetable.I remember them flying to Munich when they first launched but unfortunately they withdrew the Munich flights from all their UK airports after about a year of operation.

BMIbaby's website looks to have improved a lot also.

The shuttle bus service is so on and off isn't it? How many times is this being launched then scaled back then relaunched ???? All I know is that I had a friend fly in from AMS on Wednesday evening this week and there were no buses operating from the airport into town.

An airport bus service is a very basic amenity, no wonder CWL is suffering. Waiting up to 59 minutes for a train is hardly ideal either! I wonder if these services were put on whether they'd be under utilised though?

The Vale of Glamorgan Line looks to have been quite popular with passengers since re-opening. I didn't realise how much development there had been in the town of Rhoose till I was there at christmas. I presume it will keep expanding.

As for the airport, is it really a great location? I'd have thought something nearer the M4 would probably have been more ideal.

Is there the remotest chance that a new airport, perhaps between Peterson-super-Ely and the M4 could be built?

No - because of the likely very vociferous campaigning against it by those affected by the construction and the operational noise. And two - its not financially viable for either a private firm or the government to fund at the moment when theres a serviceable (if very imperfect) airport down the road.

Though the land just south of the M4 between junction 33 and 34 is pretty remote, no? And it goes without saying such a thing would not be possible in the forseeable future. But I also can't envisage an airport at Rhoose ever being very competitive with other UK airports.

No chance whatsoever Frank.

The airport isn't well located, it's true, but one has to make the best of it. I needs better connections to the M4, and better connections to the city centre.

Cardiff is regarded as a very safe airport by pilots because of its relative inactivity, its open position by the coast, its Jumbo-adapted long runway and the fact that nowadays it's relatively free of military aircraft movements at St Athan. Bristol is pretty much hemmed in by hills and there have been many problems with its undulating runway.

Having said that Bristol's geographical location as a nodal point for SW England and SE Wales makes its relative importance unassailable - hence the large number of regular European and British destinations.

In other reasonably large countries of Europe it would be inconceivable for a city of the size and profile of Cardiff not to have regular flights to the capital city. I'm not sure that there have ever been flights between Cardiff and London. Anyone know?

Absolutely Ian,but don't ever try and book yourself on one.......................

Flights to Tashkent?




This link is quite pertinent for you!

Nice one, Wizard! I seem to remember this report about a regular flight to London with no passengers.

Well remembered re the Tashkent experience and thanks for a timely reminder that I'd said I'd put a pictures up from that trip in March 68. They're all on slides which need scanning but I'm working on it!

Did you hear Peter Jackson's programme ("Jacko" programme BBC Wales?)about the trip?

I've heard it twice now.I could have contributed a massive amount and I have to confess to feeling bit miffed that I knew nothing about it - but last time I spoke to him was during Newport County's Carl Zeiss Jena games in 1981 and contact details get lost over 30 years.

If I can get the hang of putting pictures up on here I'll get a few up of those few days quite unique in City's history.

Great News that BMIBaby are flying to Munich again.

Went on the Web site to check out prices.

Out £26.04
Rtn £16.04

mmmm I thought 42 quid, that sounds great, let me just carry on and see what it really is.

ahh taxes and charges £49.90 (i thought the UK Passenger Tax was £10)

Ok so now at £91.98 still not bad.

I have to take a bag with me, another £38.98!

Must book seats as well, £19

Ahh I don't have the correct card to pay with, another £9

Total for my £42 flight is now £177.45

Went on BA's web site. flight out £57 return £57
(I know they are having a little trouble with the chief Marxist Len Mc Clusky but that will pass)

Total £114 includes, bags, check in, food, total you pay on debit card is still £114!

BMI Baby used to be more open about their prices but they have out done Ryan Air.
I would expect to pay more than £42 to Europe, say £120 for a no frill flights but do they people are really that stupid?

Found my booking to Munich with BMIBaby from 2002;

Booking Date: 08DEC02

Hi and welcome to bmibaby. Please keep this document in a safe place and bring
it with you when you check-in. It is sent in place of traditional airline
tickets and represents your flight confirmation. Your travel details are
listed below, please check that they are as you requested.

PASSENGER DETAILS
1. XXXXXXXXXX ADT 2. XXXXXXXXXXX ADT

FLIGHT DETAILS
Flight no Date departure airport/time arrival airport/time baggage allowance
WW5985 SAT 03MAY CARDIFF 1040 MUNICH 1340 20Kgs per person
WW5986 TUE 06MAY MUNICH 1330 CARDIFF 1445 20Kgs per person

PAYMENT DETAILS
Adults 72.00 GBP Service Charges 0.00 GBP
Fees 3.00 GBP Ins Levy/PSC 0.00 GBP
YR 0.00 GBP Ins Levy/PSC 0.00 GBP
Ins Surcharge 10.00 GBP Total Paid 85.00 GBP

That's £85.00 for two adults from Cardiff! them were the days of low cost travel

The cost does jump up doesn't it. It's the hold luggage charges that always make me wince. To get a good fare on a low-co you really have to go just for hand luggage these days- which is just about do-able although a tad inconvenient.

You can actually skip on the BMIBaby seat booking fees by simply not selecting any of them - although they don't explain that clearly!

I would recommend getting an electron card to save on the booking surcharges. I did so awhile back (and it cost me nothing) and probably saves me a good £50 a year.

Do those top tips and you'll be back at under a hundred which is pretty reasonable if not a steal.

Cardiff Airport has an 18% drop in passengers according to report on wales online. Nothing we can do about it says airport manager.

It really is slipping back at the rate of knots. The reasons for it are many but for me Cardiff airport does not have flights to the destintions I want to go to. If I am planning a break or a holiday I automatically put Bristol into the airport box as I know there is no point putting Cardiff in. It's quite sad but I can't actually see myself using Cardiff airport again unless I go on a bucket and spade holiday or I want to revisit Amsterdam.

I would regard 18% as nothing short of calamitous considering the lack of flights from the airport to start with.

I've travelled a fair bit in my time and have generally noticed a strong correlation between a region's REAL (not talked up) economy and the state of the airport which serves the region - and CWL bears this out to be honest.

Bus link to the airport from Rhoose train station to be ditched at the end of the week:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2010/04/09/airport-shuttle-bus-to-be-brought-to-a-halt-91466-26205454/

Oh dear.

Hmmm that really is poor. It's a bit annoying that a proper shuttle bus or airport 'flyer'can't be confirmed properly. If the airport did have a dedicated flyer bus like bristol it could actually improve the service from this original bus to train, train to city centre scheme anyway!

I heard on de Media that a taxi firm is likely to step in and fill the gap left when the Shuttle Bus pulls out!
Integrated transport policy...
In fairness a spokesman for the Vale Council said the Bus had usually only one passenger on it, (as well as the driver) so a Taxi would make more sense, maybe the taxi could call at you door and save your the annoying train bit!
Or better still take you to BRS.
A very sad state of affairs for Cardiff Wales International Airport.

I suppose a dedicated airport shuttle needs a dedicated airport! Maybe we will get one one day, but let's face it: the Rhoose connection is an open platform station which requires the undignified passage over a footbridge carting luggage.

The train station is useful, but additional.

They need a decent, reliable half hourly bus service to central station pronto.

Footbridge? What footbridge?

Agree with James. But it would be nice if the reliable and frequent bus service came before the scrapping of the train / bus connection....

Incidentally, the article says end of May rather than the end of last week! Plenty of time for the Assembly to step in with a bit of subsidy, which perhaps is what the bus operator is angling for.

The station name should be changed to Rhoose if there's no longer a shuttle bus or people will end up stranded 2 miles form the airport!

Incidentally on sunday we got stuck at the airport, stupidly relying on the bus service.

The bus didn't show so we had to get a taxi home. I believe they are once every 2 hours which for an international airport is pretty poor, however, even those buses are usually half empty. I think once an hour or 2 an hour at peak times would be substantial.

It would be interesting to see how people get to Cardiff Airport, most people I know either steal a lift or get a taxi. I don't know anyone who has used the bus or train service specifically for the airport. We use it but only to visit our relatives and even then we have to plan ahead because if we miss the X91, its a 2 hour wait. I don't know what you'd do if you had to catch a flight

The airport should be bought by the WAG and rebuilt.. the amount they spent on the new railway via the airport could have paid for a new terminal.

Theres this silly drip spending mentality that ends up worse and more expensive in the long run.