Swansea
 

Interesting post on Swansea Airport's FB page earlier today announcing the resumption of scheduled service(s)...

Speculation in the comments that it's Air Alderney who will be operating these flights, however the Airport have said that "Details of the operator are due to be published shortly along with the full schedule. However, full confirmation has been received today."

There is already a Swansea thread.

The wooden terminal is in a bit of a state and will need doing up.

Swansea Airport webpage has been revamped too it appears……

Interesting choice with EXT but is an awful long drive as alternative plus would you be able to connect with the Channel Islands by means of through checking baggage ??

Used Swansea a few times back with Air Wales and the ATR hopping to CWL and onto LCY. Surprised how many used that route in all honesty. Yes Air Wales failed to make it a success but maybe the ATR 42 was too big at that time, J41 or Saab would have been better but Who knows.

The airport was in a poor state then but seems to have been having a gradual makeover.

Wish them all the best - especially at a time where CWL is being hit from all angles !

I heard mutterings about Air Alderney having an interest in an Alderney to Exeter service some time ago. Why not extend the service on to Swansea?

Seem to remember that many years ago an ILS was installed but never used or did I imagine it?

If it is Air Alderney then they operate BNI aircraft which will be 9 seaters unless they are getting the D28 as commented elsewhere ?

No you didn’t. Installed, flight checked,Air Wales ceased ops, ATC downgraded to AGCS - never used operationally.

With no ATC, no navaids, no Instrument Approach Procedures and South Wales weather, quite apart from no functional terminal building, appears to a bit of a premature announcement, 1st April still two plus months away.

Or is it a case of second time around, someone looking to make a small fortune out of running an airline - by starting with a big one?

I last visited there I think in October 2021. The airport looked semi abandoned with even the Covid testing station that was set up in the car park empty. I spent half an hour having a wonder inside the terminal and walking around outside and didn’t spot a living thing.

Whether it means anything, but there is an advert on the front page of the airport website for Air Alderney charters

Is Air Alderney a functioning airline? It doesn't seem to have any scheduled services, only charters with an Islander or two and a Trislander.

OTOH, Aurigny already runs scheduled services between Guernsey and Exeter (using ATR 72); maybe they could easily extend to Swansea?

See my post #8, explains why they cannot currently do so with an ATR 72, together with the fact that Swansea does not have the required level of Fire/Rescue facilities for that size of aircraft.

I think "Terminal" is a rather grand term for the tired wooden annexe that from time to time has contained a 3rd rate Cafe.
I have fond memories of Swansea, I got my PPL there and its a wonderful area to fly around, but has been mismanaged for decades.
I'm not sure whether the reason for this announcement is that the current Leaseholder is running scared due to calls from a few parties for someone else to be given the lease and making stuff up or its genuine and on condition that its lease is transferred.
I hope someone with at least some idea does indeed take it over.

When Air Wales operated through Swansea prior to them moving to Cardiff they had a “decent” check-in area plus I recall they had a brand new arrivals building with a carousel for baggage collection. I do not know if it ever became operational or not or if it is still at Swansea. It was brand new and resembled a large shipping container but sufficient for an airport this size.

Not sure if it belonged to Air Wales or the Airport ?

The departure area itself was small and very basic but again sufficient for the operations at that time. I guess this was moth-balled when Air Wales left.

Go back enough years Morton Air Services operated a Swansea to Gatwick service. At the same time, according to my Swansea Municipal Airport handbook, the airport also had Cambrian Airways, Dan-Air and BMA as users.

There were also regular airlifts to DUB for the Six Nations back in the 90’s. Remember seeing x2 Shorts 360 on ground at same time in my younger days.

VLM have also visited with a F50 plus a few B19 aircraft of TwinJet.

Be interesting to see how this all progresses and wish them the best with it all.

I'd love to see Swansea having commercial airline passenger service. Once there have been a couple of departures carrying passengers for money out of Swansea, I'll be buying a ticket to whatever route exists
However, when comparing to airports like Blackpool, Cambridge, Carlisle, Lydd, Oxford and Brighton/Shoreham - can anyone justify why Swansea can support commercial airline service ? Even Cardiff has its ups and downs...

Remember those days very well, flew in there with ATC, an NDB with instrument approach procedures and a radar that enabled ATC to provide 1/2 mile SRAs when the weather got really bad.

Seem to remember Swansea being used for live animal shipments. Anyone remember the airline, aircraft type and even the year? No cargo now, just random light aircraft.

Im sure it was an Antonov 26 or similar….not sure but think it could have been the Latvian airline RAF Avia.