Cardiff Airport welcomes over a million passengers and becomes the UK’s second fastest growing Airport

Nation.Cymru staff

Cardiff Airport has welcomed more than one million passengers over the past 12 months, marking a major milestone in the Airport’s continued growth and recovery.

The achievement comes as new Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data names Cardiff Airport the second fastest-growing Airport in the UK, recording a 24% increase in passenger numbers in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year.

The strong performance reflects growing demand for flights from Wales, with both new and existing airline partners expanding their services, offering customers greater choice, more seats and excellent value fares.

Cardiff Airport proudly drives connectivity for Wales, with a growing network of destinations including twice-daily departures to Amsterdam, daily services to Dublin and four weekly flights to Toronto, providing onward connections across Canada and North America.

Recent developments include welcoming a new airline partner WestJet, TUI investing in basing a 4th aircraft at Cardiff this summer, and the addition of new routes Hurghada (Egypt), Faro (Portugal), Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), Salzburg (Austria), Toronto (Canada), Turin (Italy), and Kittilä (Finland).

Cardiff Airport has been recognised by the CAA as the second fastest-growing Airport in the UK, with passenger numbers increasing by 24% in 2026. More than one million passengers have travelled through the Airport over the past 12 months, and there has been a 14% increase in passengers compared with financial year 2024/25

The airport also highlighted a busy period for international travel linked to major sporting events, including the EPCR Challenge Cup Final, Investec Champions Cup Final and Six Nations fixtures, which together brought more than 19,000 international rugby fans through the terminal.

Alongside this, Ryanair recorded its busiest ever summer at Cardiff, while the airport estimates its operations support thousands of jobs across South Wales and contribute more than £200 million annually to the Welsh economy.

Jon Bridge, CEO of Cardiff Airport, said: “Welcoming more than one million passengers is a major milestone for Cardiff Airport and a clear sign of the growing demand for flights from Wales.

“To be recognised by the Civil Aviation Authority as the second fastest-growing airport in the UK is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work of our colleagues and partners, as well as the confidence passengers and airlines continue to place in Cardiff.

“We are focused on building on this momentum, expanding connectivity and delivering long-term benefits for Wales and the wider economy.”

Future plans

Looking ahead, WestJet’s new direct flights between Cardiff and Toronto, will continue to provide onward connections across Canada and the United States, while TUI destinations include Hurghada (Egypt), Faro (Portugal), Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), and Kittilä (Finland).

Crystal Ski has also introduced new winter flights to Turin (Italy), following strong demand for Chambéry (France) and Salzburg (Austria)

There has been TUI holidays and capacity added to Antalya (Turkey), Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), Palma (Majorca), Enfidha (Tunisia) and Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Alongside passenger growth, the airport said cargo remains a major strategic focus for the business, with opportunities to expand freight capacity and attract new commercial partnerships as part of its long-term diversification strategy.