We can only dream !!! But still holding out for Air France lol

Air France would be great and would complement KLM but I feel that Cardiff may well have to wait quite a while, maybe until summer 2021 for the likes of Paris and Dublin to be replaced due to the coronavirus.

Those words of caution apply to all airports in UK, particularly those that have lost Flybe services. In more certain times I feel sure that Easyjet, for example, would have brought forward the start of their EDI and GLA to BHX services and already upped capacity going forward, but they haven't, most probably because they can see the (coronavirus) writing on the wall.

This summer is going to be one of survival for the air transport industry, many will lose their jobs, or may find their job offers for seasonal summer positions withdrawn. I wouldn't want to be relying on employment in air transport or hospitality this year.

I think Cardiff fans should be thankful that no backfilling has been done yet. If you look at SOU in particular there has been far too much backfilling by very weak airlines (Eastern) and those spread too thinly (Loganair). They're even competing on thin routes like SOU-NCL-ABZ. Eastern were at risk of going under recently. I would say radical expansion in the face of coronavirus is tantamount to suicide. You also certainly don't want Stobart anywhere near you at the moment given their reputation and risk. They only care about one thing - Southend airport.

Better to wait it out under the radar until 2021 when things should pick up again.

I know many people who would disagree with that and can't understand why Cardiffs routes haven't been taken up already.
I do feel that the focus of airlines is on England because they have limited resources and Cardiff just isn't important to them because no doubt many of the English routes are more lucrative and the government will be more concerned about getting them reinstated than any route from Wales.

English routes? Government concerns? Think you're being a bit one-eyed here. All of the re-instated LM routes have involved Scottish or Irish airports except EXT-NCL and SOU-NCL, and the vast majority (all?) have been from existing bases. Eastern have launched SOU-MAN and SOU-NCL. Heaven forbid airlines concentrate on routes they regard as "more lucrative"!

With the exception of CWL-EDI Loganair routes have all involved English airports same with Eastern Airways and the Channel islands airlines. So yes English routes either internal or England to Scotland or England to the islands. The UK will no doubt see that as a priority rather than Cardiff to Dublin.
Cardiff and the Welsh government are talking to airlines but I do suspect it will be a while until the lost capacity be replaced.

From the Loganair thread there's also:
Aberdeen to Belfast City - Daily ERJ begins 16th March
Inverness to Belfast City - Daily SF3 flights begins 23rd March

Are there any BE routes to LM bases out of CWL that LM haven't picked up? Clearly the LM strategy at the moment doesn't include opening new bases

The UK? what do you mean by that? Does any other major regional airport in the UK get more govt support than CWL?

I'm not criticising Loganair like you seem to be believing. Eastern could open a base here but they've chosen to prioritize Southampton and at the moment Blue islands doesn't seem interested in the Cardiff to Jersey route.
I mean UK government, they will be wanting the English airports prioritised and I never said they were giving any sort of support ie money but I'd be surprised if they hadn't talked to these airlines about which airports to prioritise and I'm sure Cardiff will be low down on the list.

Could it just simply be that more money can be made from other Airports, because theres plenty of alternatives from BRS for people from South Wales?
If I was running an Airline I'd be looking at routes that fill seats and make money, not routes that have effectively been chartered previously or had money thrown at them somehow.
It's not favouritism as you make it sound. It's business sense.
It's easy to say English Airports gets this and that. But realistically there is only one Welsh Airport. There arent many England-England routes. It just happens to be the geography coupled with money makers.

Paris
 

Paris showing as a direct destination from CWL saying ‘flight info will be updated shortly’. Looks like someone may be taking the route on. GVA also has the same. 👍🏻

info on CWL website

The CWL website is suggesting you can reach these destinations with KLM - via AMS.

It is showing “direct” according to the website and schedules soon.....no mention of it via AMS and also red for direct. GVA also showing yet all off the old ex Flybe routes have been removed including JER, ORK & DUB so there could be an announcement pretty soon (hopefully).

Summer schedule for Geneva comes up as KLM. Winter says flight info available soon. Will be interesting to see who takes on Geneva. Ireland is blank even though you can get there with KLM.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Paris will be taken up by Air France.

Seems odd that Paris showing along with the comments about coming soon etc. Obviously something is in planning process here as they’ve removed all of the other Flybe destinations except Paris. It was a popular route so be interesting to see who (if true) picks this route up.....I can only think AF (Hop) off top of head.

For Paris I'd put my money on AF Hop considering how good a relationship the airport has with KLM and they've recently expanded at the airport.
It's Geneva in which I'm stumped at. I can't think of any takers for that.

I do agree with regards to AF Hop and hope it does happen as Paris had pretty good passenger loads & great for CWL to secure this important route.

Baffled with GVA replacement and can only be Swiss ? Or easyJet Switzerland maybe as they do from SOU ? Completely different outfit to easyJet UK and will not conflict with BRS.

If it was Swiss I'd have thought it would be Zurich? I don't know how big their ops are at GVA. I'd be very shocked if it was Easyjet Switzerland considering the sheer volume of flights that go into Bristol.

easyJet Switzerland and easyJet UK are operated as separate entities just as they do at BOH & SOU......so I do not think “if” easyJet Switzerland operated to GVA it should not affect BRS flights as in theory they are a different company.

doubt it would be Swiss. Helvetic maybe? Very much doubt that TUI would introduce a charter. LM could do it with a 145 but whether they’d want to is another thing.