How on earth can a half hourly shuttle bus between the Cardiff and the Airport possibly be financially justified? They have already tried a dedicated service and it didn't generate enough traffic. They are just copying Bristol.

I would say that feeding pax onto the train is probably the best idea at the moment.

BTW- I have often seen up to ten people on the bus- not earth shattering, it has to be said.

What I think they should really do is extend the airport bus as a feeder service from local areas into Rhoose station (e.g. Aberthaw etc) and use the income generated from this social function to offset the airport traffic.

Glad the link is repreived, however.

Daniel

Most passengers outbound from CWL originating in Wales/Severnside/Borders will probably use car-parking, taxis or family and friends. It is usually inbound passengers from abroad who need the bus/public transport, and if there aren't too many of these it will be empty.

CWL to SFB back
 

Orlando from CWL is being advertised again, as of 23/06/2010. Nothing on airport site to mention it though?
Being operated by Travel City Direct (Virgin Holidays Family).
Good news.

Yeah it is back but i believe it is connection at AMS with KLM. Which in theory is an existing route but Travel City Direct has an agreement now to sell seats on that flight.

No mention of it on Travel City website.

On the New York link the Western Mail WalesOnline - News - Wales News - First Wales-US link stalls but ‘opportunity is there’ states-
The WAG obviously didnt want to do this especially at such tough economic times.

Does anyone have any pictures of CWL's new development?

Would love to see how the front is coming along.

Also any pics of the new (ish) pier would be great too!

Thanks!

Much discussion on WAN (happy birthday this Thursday!) about extra charges to pax by CWL. Seems at least a double whammy on parking and bags. Given that Abertis is under stress from potentially unfriendly take-over bids, what other additional charges might we be seeing soon? Higher rents, increased corp/general aviation charges, perhaps even a road toll? The trip to Bristol starts to look economical, perhaps. Or is there an opening for a management buy-in?

Hopeless airport management
 

I've been through Cardiff on a couple of trips in the past few weeks, and have been trying to put my finger on why the experience is so utterly depressing. Here are just a few possible causes

1) Food - definitely the worst I have experienced at any airport, and that's if you can get served. They serve utter rubbish, at horrific prices

2) Public transport - the half-hourly service can't come soon enough. Hardly anyone takes the bus because an hourly pattern is totally impractical. The last thing you want on returning home is a 59 minute wait because you just missed it. And even if you're lucky enough to have a bus for your outbound flight, chances are you'll be coming back in the evening and be stuffed anyway because it stops so early.

3) Information for arriving passengers - absolutely no public transport info available at all (they've even closed the info point in the departures area now). Last week there was a comedy scrap of paper wrapped around a lamp post with the bus times on it

4) Security staff - undoubtedly the rudest I've encountered, and take pleasure in confiscating all manner of things regardless of whether they are on the Dept for Transport list of proscribed items or not

5) Security - incidentally, what's the point of confiscating a knitting needle, and then making metal knives and forks freely available in the bar after airside?

6) Lack of public engagement - I've tried to correspond with the airport on their public email address and got absolutely no reply

7) Information screens - what idiot decided they should alternate the gate information with full-screen captions saying 'Cardiff Airport'? Massively annoying.

8) Road access - the whole place is just a maze of bollards and concrete obstructions now. Nobody seems clear where to go, including the bus drivers. It's a total mess.

9) Who the hell decided to adopt the addresses cwl.aero and tbicardiffairport.com as their web domains? Might as well call it youwillneverguessourwebsiteaddress.com

All of which makes me think that the people in charge just don't have a clue about the experience of passengers using the airport, and until they do it's very unlikely that the environment is going to be conducive to more carrier coming in and any significant development.

Cheeseman,

I'd agree with some of what you say, but...

Not that I'm endorsing what's provided but it's no worse than what is provided at other airports

Having used the aiport dozens of times across the past year I'd disagree. If anything I'd say they were the opposite. Not rude at all and some of the most polite and pleasant I have come across

Would this not be what the law allows? Hardly the fault of security or the airport management if they do what they are asked too, but there are no restrictions once past them?

Just deal with it. It's not that complicated. :)


What really is missing is that there is no sense of the identity of Wales at the airport - it should be shouting out what a great place Wales is.
In reality you could be almost anywhere.

Unfortunately Cardiff has long been overtaken by Bristol and the likelihood of it ever making up much, if any of the ground is long gone.

A story of missed opportunities maybe - what if Go had chosen Cardiff over Bristol all those years ago?
Maybe poor decision making - what if Ryanair hadn't been shown the door? where would their UK South West base be now - Cardiff not Bristol?

And of course the whole economic situation does not help either.

Unfortunately these days, it's easy to be negative about CWL. Yes, one must admit that Carlos del Rio of TBI and his hiree Patrick Duffy have totally misunderstood the needs of the Welsh capital over the last couple of years. The result has been a collapse in passenger numbers, a failure to connect with the airline and travel industries, a highly questionable search for taxpayer investment from the Welsh Assembly and a lack of understanding of CWL's true potential. The airport that laid the foundation for a global TBI enterprise is lost in a cloud of corporate political correctness. Very sad.

However, if one is to be positive, then the case for a management buy-in looks strong. Abertis/TBI is bending under £13 billion of debt and needs a few quick wins. So CWL may well be for sale at a reasonable price (although the purchaser needs to go direct to Barcelona and cut out the idiots in between.) Then there's the possibility of re-inventing a home carrier ... how about Air South West, at less than £3 million the lot?

Then you need support from those "in the know" ... PPrune and Wales Air Network might even work together to achieve this (Admins, talk about this before you consider deleting it!) Public support for an MBI and affiliated investment would be crucial if Welsh Assembly funds are to be accessed.

CWL can be sorted out. But it will take public and industry pressure to do it. Are you ready to work towards this personally?

Whats wrong with Cardiff
 

Lets start with road access its crap, no other way of putting it.

Everyone is obsessed with public transport and green issues, if you want to make a green statement then close the airport!! If you can't stomach that because its import for Wales to have an airport, then build a rail or proper road link to the motorway,simple

Most airports outside of LHR struggle with trying to get X % of it users out of cars, so why bother, the land is cheap car parking generates good income, oh sorry i forgot its the green argument,then close the airport, simple!!

God help CWL if baby clear off, they might not do much, but take a long look at DTV !! That is now a very green airport, a car park with no cars, a runway with no aircraft, a terminal with no Jobs an airport with no flights!!

Guess what people get in their cars and drive to LBA or Newcastle, they don't use the train or the bus and if they leave their cars at home, its because their in a taxi, simple (not very green)

So remove all the concrete and plastic crap out side allow people to kiss and fly from the front of the terminal, if your worried about the terrorist invented by Tony Blair, forget it, he's gone and so have they, if your still worried, screen them at the gates half a mile away, and let them kiss and fly!! simple

This is Wales a threat to no one, simple, certainly not Bristol

Jetstream 7,

How was it a mistake for GO to choose Bristol all those years ago ?, they go where the passengers are, so unless you issue the sheep passports you've got no catchment.   of course it would be nice to have a ramp full of aircraft but who are you going put on them.

Or could it be the £100 or more cheaper to fly from Brs than Cwl.

Cracking management team- they make wonderfull pasties, though seem to know bugger all about aviation or airports

Cardiff public transport
 

I think you miss the point on the public transport front. It's not a question of being green: for most of us car travel to the airport is expensive because of the car parking charges while away. Also, what about visitors to Wales? Imagine turning up at 7pm on your holiday only to find the next bus is tomorrow morning. I think you'd be fairly incredulous at the impracticality of the current arrangement.

I just read the last post and after checking the timetables for Cardiff Bus and EST was shocked to learn the last bus is indeed 1941 to Cardiff!
When did this change? They both used to do a later service up to approx 2200.
The last train is still hourly up to 2306. Is the link bus to the train station still running?

S'truth, all this negativity gets my goat!

If you want to have a real impact on Wales' air network, you should know the organisation to join (if not, PM me.) Moaning gets us nowhere. Those who care about airports like CWL need to organise to make a difference.

If any Admins are watching, I would appreciate a PM from you guys too!

Totally agree with Peter's post.

Yes, there's a lot that can be done to improve the passenger experience at CWL and to encourage a wider range of services, both scheduled and charter - but that takes positive action on all our parts.

Being negative just saps encouraging CWL to become the airport it can grow into and one the local community deserve. Engage, put forward positive suggestions, share new idea's!

With all due respect guys and girls, do you really think that positive or negative attitudes will really have an impact on CWLs route development and Wales' air network?

The only thing that will change this is for people to start using the services that there are there already. Bums on seats will change this.

People could petition the airport by saying that they refuse to use BRS / BHX / LON airports saying that they want services from CWL. But it is still the AIRLINES that will have the impact on Wales' Air Network.

The most realistic thing that the Welsh public can do is fully utilise BE's current services to the max now with the hope that BE will see the potential for a base when the new aircraft arrive.

Also EK have added CWL to their booking system with connections via NCL / GLA / CDG together with the AF connections with BE through CDG.

Maybe if people use these connections EK may see the potential and operate a direct DXB route.

I am not familiar with what CWL is currently doing to attract airlines to CWL but it is common knowledge that the airport fees are relatively high. Has CWL considered lowering these fees dramatically in order to attract airlines?

Wouldn't offering VS, for example, free landing and parking for a season to operate a weekly MCO and then to re-evaluate should they wish to carry on be an option? The same could be done with TS for flights to YYZ / YVR again.

Nobody wants CWL to develop more than I but I fear that we have missed the boat on major expansion that has been seen at other airports.

I have some friends due to fly on TCX637L from Mallorca to Cardiff on Saturday 7th July. The last few weekends, this flight has been shown coming from Dalaman on the arrival boards. Does it fly from Dalaman to Cardiff via Mallorca picking up extra passengers in Mallorca? Or what else happens?

TCX637K departs to PMI, TCX637L Returns from PMI.
The aircraft then departs at 2030 as TCX319K to DLM.
There is no split flight.