Cardiff Airport, on the up.

[North Cardiff Blue]

I'm all for investing in our public transport infrastructure, but with the airport it does run a real risk of throwing good money after bad.

Cardiff airport will never compete with Bristol now. That ship (no pub intended) has sailed and Bristols catchment area is so much larger and the airport now carries more than ten times more passengers

But Cardiff is still punching way below our weight. The links to the city centre are truly shocking. A bus that could easily serve north Barry and Ely and the city centre is desperately needed. It's not unviable to create a loop on the VoG line either. Investment is also needed from a low cost carrier, as currently we just have a spattering of Ryanair flights, with pretty poor load factors (how full the plane is) too.

I am no fan of the WG these days and we have to ask ourselves why people won't invest. They have to bear some responsibility.

But I do support this as a use of public money. Need to see what the hell it goes on of course. The place is depressing at the moment. Anyone landing there to invest in Wales would just get on the first plane back out

Trains to Barry and regular buses from there to the airport could be good for increasing passenger volume.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Then Drakeford got involved with it and guess what……

I wonder, did it get all messed up and not go ahead?

[uncle bob]

You can drop off for free at CWL. The driver was taking the piss.

I'm an uber driver and I can assure you that you cannot drop off fir free inside the main car park like you used too.
It's £3.00 which is madness as we only get between £13 - and £17 total as a driver to go to the airport these days from Roath and Cathays area. Most drivers drop in the free car park which is outside the airport main car park further back

[PontBlue]

Trains to Barry and regular buses from there to the airport could be good for increasing passenger volume.

Surely a spur off the Vale railway line right into the airport wouldn't be that expensive as it runs close by anyway and the way TFW are improving the quality and frequency of trains and reducing the cost of travel (if you use their contactless system) it would boost the airport and give WAG a better return on investment.

[Rjk]

That's nonsense. A well-run business grows from small. Brighton FC, for example, flew past us.

Cardiff airport WAS growing following the senedd taking it over, until COVID put a stop to that.

economies of scale are very important when it comes to running an airport. there are many functions that have to be paid for , and these costs get basically split between the airlines operating there. hence an airline can offer the same flight for cheaper from Bristol than it can from Cardiff.
only once it hits a critical mass can it start to really compete.

this is why the smaller airports have felt the downturn in the industry far more than the bigger ones since COVID.
I think it'll just be a process of gradual growth again then if it can get big enough to justify some more significant infrastructure upgrades (Trainline etc) then who knows.

[Rjk]

Surely a spur off the Vale railway line right into the airport wouldn't be that expensive as it runs close by anyway and the way TFW are improving the quality and frequency of trains and reducing the cost of travel (if you use their contactless system) it would boost the airport and give WAG a better return on investment.

new train lines are VERY expensive.

wales only has a small budget for infrastructure spending and this would be more speculative than other things that have a more guaranteed return.

perhaps if we had the money we are owed from HS2.......

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

I'm an uber driver and I can assure you that you cannot drop off fir free inside the main car park like you used too.
It's £3.00 which is madness as we only get between £13 - and £17 total as a driver to go to the airport these days from Roath and Cathays area. Most drivers drop in the free car park which is outside the airport main car park further back

It's a real rip-off that airports charge just to drop off. Bristol airport charges £7 a time to use its drop and go area. They give out £100 fines if someone just hops out while you're waiting at a zebra crossing.

[Des Parrot]

It's a real rip-off that airports charge just to drop off. Bristol airport charges £7 a time to use its drop and go area. They give out £100 fines if someone just hops out while you're waiting at a zebra crossing.

People moaning as it’s £7 for 10 minutes and they’re changing it to cashless pay on exit. Birmingham for comparison is £6 for 15 minutes

[delmbox]

That's nonsense. A well-run business grows from small. Brighton FC, for example, flew past us.

Hang on have you been going to watch Cardiff Wales Airport thinking that's the football club?

[Forest Green Bluebird]

I've been wishing for a New York to Cardiff flight for over 30 years.

If you get a flight to Shannon Airport you can go through US customs there, rather than in N.Y.

Just realised that RJK has mentioned the same can be done at Dublin.

Cheapest fare to N.Y. involves 1 stop at Reykjavik with Icelandic Air.

[JamesWales]

Hang on have you been going to watch Cardiff Wales Airport thinking that's the football club?

Imagine his confusion when we signed JET

[lardy]

That's nonsense. A well-run business grows from small. Brighton FC, for example, flew past us.

Who are Brighton FC?

[Taunton Blue Genie]

It's a real rip-off that airports charge just to drop off. Bristol airport charges £7 a time to use its drop and go area. They give out £100 fines if someone just hops out while you're waiting at a zebra crossing.

There is a free drop-off point at the airport but it's necessary to take a (free) transfer bus from there to the terminal itself.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

There is a free drop-off point at the airport but it's necessary to take a (free) transfer bus from there to the terminal itself.

Yes, that can be useful, although it's quite small and can be difficult to get into at busy times.

[NYCBlue]

If you get a flight to Shannon Airport you can go through US customs there, rather than in N.Y.

Just realised that RJK has mentioned the same can be done at Dublin.

Cheapest fare to N.Y. involves 1 stop at Reykjavik with Icelandic Air.

From Cardiff?

[Joe Gillis]

Cardiff airport has already shown its worth in fighting the zombie plague in \World war Z

Yeah, we save Brad Pitt's arse that day

[Blue Dwr]

I'm an uber driver and I can assure you that you cannot drop off fir free inside the main car park like you used too.
It's £3.00 which is madness as we only get between £13 - and £17 total as a driver to go to the airport these days from Roath and Cathays area. Most drivers drop in the free car park which is outside the airport main car park further back

Then I apologise Bob. Last time I was dropped there, a year or so ago, it was free.

[Porth Pouncer]

The terminal is not big enough and with BA maintenance so close, I cannot see there being much development space. If you look at Bristol, there is a long line of stands plus areas where planes can park up for buses. How many planes can CWL have parked up? <10?

Expansion of the airport needs to be done hand in hand with infrastructure. Its a non-starter for me. This is just tinkering, albeit good tinkering.

[PontBlue]

The Chief Executive of Bristol Airport is having a moan and involving lawyers.

[splott parker]

The Chief Executive of Bristol Airport is having a moan and involving lawyers.

He’ll be moaning about Sheffield United’s parachute payments next Whinging, jealous twat.

[goats]

The Chief Executive of Bristol Airport is having a moan and involving lawyers.

Why? They’ve already had millions of tax payers money and got nowhere with it…..

[chrisp_1927]

The Chief Executive of Bristol Airport is having a moan and involving lawyers.

Doesn't say much about his ability or his confidence in Bristol . Why doesn't he concentrate on running his own airport, the daft tosser.

[Rjk]

it's a bit rich coming from Bristol Airport, they are currently in the process of investing over £400 million in their airport, why can't we invest in ours?

they take over 10 million passengers annually, whereas Cardiff currently does around 800k, and has peaked at about 2 million.