Cardiff Airport confirms new routes to holiday hotspots
Emily Price
Cardiff Airport has confirmed two new routes plus extra flights to Spain as part of Ryanair’s summer 2024 schedule.
Last week, Nation.Cymru revealed that the low cost airline provider was planning to roll out flights to popular package holiday destinations, Alicante and Tenerife.
Today, the largest airline in Europe confirmed that alongside the two brand new routes, it will also be increasing their services to Malaga.
This is in addition to popular destinations Faro and Dublin.
Development
The new routes have been uploaded into Ryanair’s system and tickets are now available.
The Alicante route will start flights from April 4 next year with the Tenerife route flying from April 6.
Spencer Birns, CEO at Cardiff Airport, said: “It is fantastic Ryanair is choosing to add more choice for customers living in Wales to fly from their National airport.
“This exciting development will see Ryanair offering 26 weekly flights through our airport facilities and we look forward to being able to welcome passengers on these services from next spring.”
Asset
Welcoming the news first broken by Nation.Cymru last week Plaid Cymru’s Economy spokesperson said: “Cardiff Airport is an important government-owned asset for Wales, a gateway from Wales to the world and vice-versa. We need to make sure that the asset remains viable and well used.
“Plaid Cymru welcomes these new routes and hope that they will add to the diversity of locations that can be reached from Cardiff for the people of Wales and that they can bring new people into Wales.
“The Welsh Government must make sure that links are in place to help people use public transport as much as possible to access these new routes and that these are good value for passengers.”
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister, Natasha Asghar MS said: “These new routes are absolutely a step in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go in turning Cardiff Airport into a success.
“Despite what people might think, I am not at all against Cardiff Airport. I am against the Welsh Government’s shocking management of it with some £200m of taxpayer cash thrown at it.
“I would love to see Cardiff Airport thrive, but under Labour ownership it is not expected to reach a level of profitability until 2029.
“Removing the dead hand of the Welsh Government and returning Cardiff Airport to private ownership is the best way of turning its fortunes around as far as I am concerned.
“However, if the Welsh Government wants to continue with its vanity project, which is burning through public money, then they must work tirelessly to attract more airlines.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
An independent Wales will control its own airspace and access to all carriers globally
Well then Natasha. Have taxes devolved or you are talking out of both sides of your mouth
Natasha says “Removing the dead hand of the Welsh Government and returning Cardiff Airport to private ownership is the best way of turning its fortunes around as far as I am concerned.” I’m more and more convinced that she’s never used the airport. The last time it was under private ownership, it was shocking. It has fewer routes than now and was left to basically fall apart. If APD remains undevolved, then any private owner is going to want subsidies from the Welsh Government. That’s still the same old taxpayers cash Natasha, except it’s now filling the bank accounts of… Read more »
I find it very strange, that the Welsh government have thrown a massive amount of money at Cardiff Airport, because it definitely doesn’t show in their prices, I would love to fly from Cardiff but it is considerably cheaper to drive past it to Bristol, it even worked out about £200 cheaper on my last flight even after the extra petrol and adding a near by hotel the night before. Why is it so much more expensive?
Ask the Westminster government about APD.
Then ask David TC Davies and Alun Cairns about it.