New air carrier from Wales

[Noxegon]

Back in the day I took an Air Wales flight from Dublin to Cardiff.

I booked it about seven or eight hours before departure, and I was the only person on the flight.

[WHBM]

I believe the flight from Valley, in Anglesey, to Cardiff, was arranged wholly around the desires of one Welsh Assembly member.

It would obviously have been far better run from Broughton, which is (just fractionally) in Wales, and close to the largest town in North Wales, which is Wrexham, rather than out on a far limb. It would even have had more catchment area if run out of Caernarvon airport.

Quite how it took 10 employees at the RAF base at Valley to handle the few scheduled services is a further question. What was the average load factor on the Eastern J41 ?

[Saabandthecity]

Originally Posted by WHBM

I believe the flight from Valley, in Anglesey, to Cardiff, was arranged wholly around the desires of one Welsh Assembly member.

It would obviously have been far better run from Broughton, which is (just fractionally) in Wales, and close to the largest town in North Wales, which is Wrexham, rather than out on a far limb. It would even have had more catchment area if run out of Caernarvon airport.

Quite how it took 10 employees at the RAF base at Valley to handle the few scheduled services is a further question. What was the average load factor on the Eastern J41 ?

Load factors were nigh on 100% on each flight. Baring in mind the flight was limited to 19 seats and a max take off weight of 10 ton. JG had initially been reconfigured to 19 seats to negate the need of a cabin crew member, however, this caused issues with fleet rotation and so was reverted back to standard 29 seats.

The problem for the flight was that the public were paying just £19 one way and the Welsh assembly paying the rest. Meaning the flight would never be commercially viable without total subsidy.