KLM
 

Are back up to twice a day on some days. Nice to see a lift in activity. Whizz very soon.

It’s been reported that Flybe (MK.2) are going to announce their routes this week……

I wonder if we will see them operate through CWL on a regular basis ? Both BHD & JER would fit in nicely for them if they were to consider CWL…..non base obviously so “W” pattern with either BHD or BHX.

Personally I'd be very surprised if see anything for Cardiff from them. But you never know what might happen.

Pretty sure those extra flights are just for the Six Nations. Personally I can't see double daily flights returning for a while yet.

Be interesteing to see if Flybe will Code Share or have an other agreement with Eastern or not
​​​​

The new Flybe has had a lot of criticism etc over name, situation etc. BHX is the new HDQ and I think BHD new base. There cannot be many U.K. airports left without little or nil competition from the likes of EZY, BA, LS, FR on domestic routes so guess that is a positive thing for CWL.

Cannot see a base at CWL but would certainly not rule out a “W” pattern especially to JER during Summer 2022 and possibly BHD itself. EI (Stobart) was due to start CWL but they’ve not listed CWL as initial destinations so another opportunity for Flybe maybe?

Anyway best of luck to Flybe where ever they end up flying !

Any news on the Anglesey flights.

I'd be very surprised if that route ever restarts.

Flybe
 

Been commented on the Flybe post that these are the routes they are looking to introduce:

Routes
BHX-JER
BHX-BHD
BHD-CWL
BHD-NCL
BHD-LPL

Great to see CWL listed and great to see BHD back should this be true ! Hopefully JER will be back soon too.

Considering Wizz U.K. (W9) are the new kids on the block for CWL next month, you’d have thought someone from CWL would have updated the airport FIDS system to show W9 as Wizz and not EastWind Capital Partners Inc (whoever they maybe).

There was a BFS flight this week plus French Rugby charters over next few days…..

The same can be said for the “LI” flight from CDG on Wednesday - this showing on the airport website as LIAT (based in Antigua)……very doubtful indeed a Dash 8 would be doing this flight !!! It is actually in fact a new Croatian airline called ETF Airways.

As small and trivial as it sounds during these awful times, this needs updating to reflect the airlines and such a simple job to do…..the handling agents should update the systems when the flights are input…..simples

Flybe
 

Flybe have announced they will place on sale and launch their new U.K. routes on Tuesday (22nd)…..I wonder will we see a BHD sector ??

Any thoughts or will CWL miss out

PAX Numbers
 

Does anybody have PAX numbers for Cardiff for the last few months? Also great to see Wizz on the boards and finally getting going on Friday

CAA terminal passenger figures for winter months to date at CWL:

November 2021 21,330, + 739% on the previous year
December 2021 15,390, + 1750%
January 2022 10,664, + 1704%
February 2022 18,674, + 1279%

In an interview this week the airport CEO said he is hoping for around 800,000 passengers during this calendar year which would be around 50% of the pre-pandemic annual figure. Recently the airport projected a return to pre-pandemic passenger levels by 2026 but that might well come much sooner especially if the Wizz Air initiative becomes the success that the airport is looking to achieve.

I think most airlines and airports were expecting numbers to recover to 2019 levels by the mid-2020s. It does seem that this might happen faster though. Quite possibly by 2023 in many cases.

In Cardiff's case, it is highly dependent on Wizz and if they can make a success of the base there.
There's a big local media push by Wizz again just as flights launch. This was in the Western Mail today - https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...wants-23619169

800k is a long way off when they only had 29k in first two months!

I wonder if this Wizz quote below in the press means a potential 2nd aircraft and new winter routes ? Be also great to see some East European city break destinations such as PRG, BUD or KRK

“We have also designed a winter network and a commercial plan to some winter sun destinations. As there is more maturity in this market, we don’t exclude starting at some point some central and eastern European routes as we believe demand is there and awareness too”.

i doubt you’ll see anything significant in terms of new Eastern European routes…

im taking that as the winter schedule that they’ve already released. I very much doubt they’d expand in winter without seeing how things pan out first with regards to the local market.

I’ve no doubt they will expand at CWL but hope they’ll grow organically and slowly rather than huge, fail and leave.

Pretty much as it says. They have "designed", not "are designing" a winter network and commercial plan - The current routes on sale that they believe to be viable in the Winter.
"As there is more maturity in this market" - Meaning winter sun routes are the only routes known to have potential at CWL. Everything else (As in Central and Eastern Europe) is an unproven and untested market which they will look at in the future.

Unless this summer proves more successful than they anticipated, it's unlikely to see a 2nd aircraft in 2023.

That being said there is lots of positive talk in that article. They also mention having very low fares which could attract people from the other side of the bridge. If that works, then not only will they likely claw back some of the 1m+ people from South Wales that use BRS, as well as those that use BHX and LON airports, but they could bring in some custom from outside of Wales.

I hope Wizz are successful at CWL as I would say they are the last trick CWL can pull out of the bag to really start improving things. There's little reason why they wouldn't be.

Totally agree with the last section…..CWL really need to work with Wizz and the catchment area (and beyond) to make this a success.

So here we are, finally with a Wizz base. After the build up of about two years, you'd think today CWL would be using this as a perfect opportunity to plaster social media with all the fanfare, yet it's been silent, save for a single post this morning saying they had doughnuts and coffee. I've said this before and I'll say it again, CWL needs a new Social Media/PR team.

Very well said…….you’d have thought there be something on the airport website including pics. CWL media team is pretty naff really….this is BIG news for CWL yet nothing really other than that one post.

Look at BRS with the Jet2 base and compare that news to our own great news !!

totally agree. News aside, always thought the website is a bit ‘school project’ type site. Not sure it’s fits the image they want to portray

Wizz at CWL is big news, been lots of publicity in the press and on social media but pretty naff coverage on CWL website…..hardly ever gets updated. With the start of flights today you’d have expected a big fanfare and official pics/comments.

Wizz
 

Anyone how what the load factors are like for the Wizz flights? Be interesting to see the footfall increase at CWL (I know this doesn’t have a bearing on yield or profitability) just interested in pax numbers. Cheers.

just going from word of mouth, they've been excellent for the most part. Don't have any stats to back that up though unfortunately

great thanks for that mate. Really hope they make some money at CWL and hang around.

Does anybody know why there have been a lot of cancelled KLM flights over the last week or so. Is this to do with poor sales?

I understand that it has been a combination of runway restrictions due maintenance and a strike by some staff. I'm happy to be corrected if I've misunderstood the reasons.

The airport operator of Amsterdam is asking all airlines to cancel flights (mainly weekend flights) to ease the pressure on the airport. Lack of staff (ground handling, car parking, baggage handling, passenger security) caused disruptions and the worst of it is expected on this weekend. Not a good sign before the summer peak period. Apparently most airlines/airports are having serious staffing issues, aka the icecream licks back.

Does anyone know the number of wizz aircraft based here initially?

CWL is a single aircraft base

Is this the end of Eastern at CWL ? It has been reported that they have removed the BHD flight from their schedule.

So does this mean no VLY being reinstated as the BHD service used the based J41 aircraft ?

I wonder if EI Regional will start BHD as a replacement as they were due to start before Stobart collapsed.

Or would Flybe be interested ??

A route with no competition would be good for FlyBe.

Kind of agree with you there….was expecting Flybe to announce it as one of their launch routes & shocked they did not. As you say a popular route with no competition 🤔

The CWL-VLY route was apparently under review because of "environmental concerns and changes in how people work" according to this BBC article.

The Labour-controlled Welsh Assembly promised an update would be given when possible, but so far nothing has been forthcoming (no surprise there!) - the Conservatives have been pushing for it to be reinstated, however the PSO contract itself is up for renewal next year so I personally can't/don't see it returning before then.

Eurowings are ending their PRG-BRS route as of mid June. Most probably due to EZY competition on the same sector.

Wishful thinking that CWL have enticed them here instead with no competition at all. BMI baby did quite well on the PRG route back in the days.

Seen this on the LGW Facebook page about Norse Atlantic visiting CWL tomorrow (29th May)….just in case anyone is interested

“Tomorrow at approx 1500 I will be flying in the first ever Norse Atlantic Airways 787 into LGW. G-CKOF.
We fly from Newquay to Cardiff to LGW in the early afternoon”

I wonder if Qatar Airways are going to return for the Football World Cup with the final being held in DOH…..wishful thinking it possibility??

They might fly Wales home after they win the world cup !