Cardiff International Airport
Encyclopedia
Cardiff Airport is an international airport
serving Cardiff
, and the rest of South
, Mid
and West Wales
. Around 1.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010.
It is located in the village of Rhoose
, Vale of Glamorgan
, 12 mi (19.3 km) west of the city centre
of Cardiff
, the country's largest city and capital.
Cardiff Airport is owned by TBI plc
. It is the only airport in Wales offering international scheduled flights; is served by scheduled, low-fare, business and charter carriers; and also supports corporate and general aviation. The majority of international flights are to Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands. There are also transatlantic charter flights to the Caribbean.
The airport is a base for Manx2
, Thomson Airways
and Thomas Cook Airlines
with Flybe
being the largest carrier at Cardiff Airport.
requisitioned land in the rural Vale of Glamorgan to set up a wartime satellite aerodrome and training base, named RAF Rhoose
, for Royal Air Force
(RAF) Spitfire
pilots. Construction work commenced in 1941, and the airfield officially began life on 7 April 1942 when it was taken over by No 53 Operational Training Unit.
The commercial potential of the runway
was recognised in the early 1950s with Aer Lingus
starting a service to Dublin in 1952. Civilian flights from the old Cardiff Municipal Airport at Pengam Moors were transferred to Rhoose on 1 April 1954. A new terminal building
followed, along with flights to France
, Belfast
and Cork
. An escalation in holiday charter business resulted in passenger throughput exceeding 100,000 in 1962.
On 1 April 1965 the Ministry of Aviation handed over the airport to Glamorgan County Council and it was renamed Glamorgan (Rhoose) Airport. The council started a five-year plan to develop the airport including a new control tower, terminal building and a runway extension.
In the 1970s the supersonic airliner Concorde
made a few flights into the airport on special occasions. These were limited by the length of the runway, meaning it could only land lightly loaded, and only take off without passengers and with a minimal fuel load. In the 1980s, its name was changed to 'Cardiff-Wales Airport'.
1986 saw a further extension of 750 ft (229 m) to the runway, costing in the region of £1 million, thus attracting more business to the airport in the form of new-generation jet aircraft. Development of transatlantic links were made with charter flights to Florida
, in addition to the previously-established links with Canada
. The runway extension, enabling the airport to handle 747 jumbo jets
, was instrumental in attracting the British Airways
(BA) Maintenance facility to the airport. The maintenance hangar is one of the largest in the world at 250 metre, providing heavy airframe and engineering maintenance for the British Airways fleet and third party carriers.
In April 1995, due to planned Local Government re-organisation in Wales, the Airport Company was privatised, with shares being sold to property and development firm, TBI plc
, now a subsidiary of Abertis
airports which also owns Stockholm Skavsta, Belfast International Airport
and is concessionary to Orlando Sanford International Airport
and London Luton. In December 1995, Heli-air Wales began training Helicopter Pilots from the Airport's southside, and are widely accredited with pioneering Helicopter Training in Wales. Heli-air Wales moved operations to Swansea Airport in 1999, and are still trading there to this day.
The airport is not only the main maintenance base for British Airways
but also home to a variety of aerospace
-oriented firms and colleges, and therefore a major contributor to the economic development of the region.
The airport was used by 2.1 million passengers in 2008, falling to just over 1.6 million passengers in 2009, according to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority, a reduction of 18.2% since 2008, making it the 20th busiest airport in the UK
in terms of passenger numbers. Based on UK Civil Aviation Authority statistics, Cardiff Airport is currently the worst performing of all major UK airports in passenger support terms.
The airport was the main base for three local airlines; Cambrian Airways
from 1935 to 1976, Airways International Cymru
until the airline ceased schedules operations in 1988, and Air Wales
until the airline ceased scheduled operations in March 2006.
Flybe
has completed the installation of three new self service electronic check-in kiosks at the airport, offering passengers an additional choice at check-in. Flybe is the first airline to invest in this technology at the airport.
On 2 March 2009 the airport management revealed a name change for the airport along with initial development plans to improve the image of the facility. Following a brand review involving consultation with a number of key stakeholders the name Cardiff Airport and Maes Awyr Caerdydd replaced Cardiff International Airport.
However, it emerged that the Airport had applied for £5 million of payments from the Welsh Assembly Government to deal with unspecified development at the terminal. This attracted immediate public criticism and requests that the airport's owners, Abertis, match such an investment with a £6 million route development programme.
(PSO) service to be operated in Wales. Inverness
based airline Highland Airways
would fly several services each day between Anglesey Airport
and Cardiff. BAe
Jetstream 31 aircraft were allocated to the route and it was hoped it would provide a quicker alternative to commuters travelling between North and South Wales, who otherwise rely on the A470 road
or rail. The PSO service would be subsidised by the Welsh Assembly Government
for three years; after this period, the route must be completely viable to continue. In May, the Anglesey service was claimed as a success, with over 1,000 seats being booked on the service within weeks of its announcement. There are options for up to 10 flights a day. On 25 March 2010 Highland Airways went into administration, prompting the suspension of flights. Manx2
was named as the new operator of the service on 29 April 2010 and won a 4 year contract serving the route in December 2010.
said they would operate to France
, Spain
, Germany
, Italy
and Eastern Europe
. The airline intended to have routes currently unavailable from the airport and had indicated that it intended to begin operations in mid-2008, with 3 Boeing 737
aircraft initially serving up to twelve destinations in total. As of yet, no timeline has been given for the launch of the airline, nor have any of its destinations been revealed.
Following a survey conducted by the airport operator in 2008 as part of a campaign to attract additional business routes to the airport, popular destinations such as Aberdeen
, Frankfurt
, Düsseldorf
, Brussels
and Scandinavia
were identified as lacking a current link. The airport planned to conduct up to 25 meetings with airlines during May and June 2008 to support the case for more routes.
Airport management announced, on 29 March 2006 a £100 million development strategy which will see the current terminal being extended, as well as upgrades to the main body of the building.
It was anticipated that the investment would attract up to five million passengers by 2015 - an increase of 150% - according to the airport's published response to a UK Government White paper
on the future of air transport throughout the United Kingdom. The airport's decline in passenger numbers by 2011 made such predictions unlikely.
Road access to the airport by way of the A48 trunk road
was the subject of a public inquiry
in 2006 but this is now superseded by needs of the forthcoming Defence Training Academy at MoD St Athan, the bid for which included plans for a direct St Athan
and airport link to the M4 motorway
.
Costing around £3m, half funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, extensive refurbishment is expected starting with the redevelopment of the front of the airport terminal and approach areas. The development works include an extension to the front of the terminal linking the arrivals and departures halls into one large common area, providing new food and retail services. As part of the work the first floor of the terminal will become 'airside' as the security control point to access the departures lounge is relocated to the first floor, above the existing arrivals hall and accessed through the new extension. The approach area in front of the terminal building will also be redesigned and landscaped.
Subsequently, it emerged that Cardiff Airport was seeking £5 million from Welsh taxpayers, without specifying what works might be carried out. Public objections to this investment may be expected prior to the May elections for the Welsh Assembly Government
.
With the delivery of new Embraer
aircraft to the fleet, Flybe has stated that it is looking at expanding its Cardiff presence with routes to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Lyon and several others from 2011 onwards.
It was announced on 13 April 2011 that Bmibaby
are to close their base at Cardiff Airport, along with their base at Manchester Airport in October in order to redeploy aircraft at their other bases, including the creation of a new operation at Belfast City Airport. The base closed on 30 October 2011.
It was announced on 28 October 2011, that Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling Airlines
are to open a new route to Barcelona commencing 27th March 2012. The airline will operate a three times weekly service.
on the Vale of Glamorgan Line
. This is linked by a free shuttle bus
to the departures terminal. Arriva Trains Wales
provides regular services to Cardiff Central Station
and Bridgend
, connecting it to the South Wales Main Line
.
Cardiff Bus
, EST Buses and Veolia Transport Cymru
buses serve the airport and provide regular shuttle services to Cardiff central bus station
and the Vale of Glamorgan
.
(towards Central Cardiff) exiting at Culverhouse Cross
, and then following the A4050
to Barry and finally the A4226
towards Llantwit Major
. Another signposted route from the M4, from West Wales, is from Junction 37 near Pyle
, which follows the A48
past Cowbridge then south along the A4226
. However, there is a direct unmarked route from M4 Junction 34 (Miskin), following the country lane though Hensol, then at the crossroads (Sycamore Cross) with the A48, continuing along the A4226 to the airport.
to commission a study on improving road access to the airport. The consultants suggested three possible schemes:
Airport management favour option 3, which would have eased pressure from the A4232 and provide a more direct access route from Mid
and South West Wales
, and the South Wales Valleys
.
The National Assembly for Wales announced in June 2009 that the plans for a new access road would be dropped in favour of increased public transport frequency by bus and by rail instead.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council agreed to hand over a publicly owned road passing in front of the airport terminal to control of the airport authority on security grounds. reference Subsequently, the airport has imposed a £1 user toll on this road, without returning any income to its original public owners.
Dragonfly Executive Air Charter operate three Beechcraft King Air 200 series
aircraft. The company office is based on the south side of the airfield.
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
serving Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and the rest of South
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, Mid
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
and West Wales
West Wales
West Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
. Around 1.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010.
It is located in the village of Rhoose
Rhoose
Rhoose is a village and community located near the sea in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, near Barry.The village is the location of Cardiff International Airport, formerly RAF Rhoose, a Holiday Park , some shops, two public houses , Rhoose Social Club, and an active Surf Life Saving Club Rhoose is...
, Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
, 12 mi (19.3 km) west of the city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, the country's largest city and capital.
Cardiff Airport is owned by TBI plc
TBI plc
TBI Limited is an airport owner and operator, incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1972.-History:The company changed name to TBI plc in March, 1994 and to TBI Limited in 2009.TBI bought Cardiff Airport in 1995....
. It is the only airport in Wales offering international scheduled flights; is served by scheduled, low-fare, business and charter carriers; and also supports corporate and general aviation. The majority of international flights are to Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands. There are also transatlantic charter flights to the Caribbean.
The airport is a base for Manx2
Manx2
Manx2 Limited is a virtual commuter airline, with its head office in Hangar 9, Isle of Man Airport in Ballasalla, Malew, Isle of Man. It sells flights and services from several airports in the UK with bases in Belfast City, Blackpool, Cardiff and Isle of Man...
, Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways is the world's largest charter airline, offering scheduled and charter flights from the UK to destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The company commenced operations on 1 November 2008, following the merger and subsequent re-branding of Thomsonfly and First...
and Thomas Cook Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines is a British charter airline based in Manchester, England. It serves main holiday resorts worldwide, from its main bases at Manchester and Gatwick.The airline also operates services from nine other bases in the United Kingdom....
with Flybe
Flybe
Flybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...
being the largest carrier at Cardiff Airport.
History
The history of the airport extends back to the early 1940s, when the Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
requisitioned land in the rural Vale of Glamorgan to set up a wartime satellite aerodrome and training base, named RAF Rhoose
RAF Rhoose
RAF Rhoose was a World War II Royal Air Force airfield, opened 7 April 1942 as an RAF training base for Supermarine Spitfire pilots.No 53 Operational Training Unit Llandow was the parent station, and Rhoose was a satellite landing ground.-See also:...
, for Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
pilots. Construction work commenced in 1941, and the airfield officially began life on 7 April 1942 when it was taken over by No 53 Operational Training Unit.
The commercial potential of the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
was recognised in the early 1950s with Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
starting a service to Dublin in 1952. Civilian flights from the old Cardiff Municipal Airport at Pengam Moors were transferred to Rhoose on 1 April 1954. A new terminal building
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
followed, along with flights to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. An escalation in holiday charter business resulted in passenger throughput exceeding 100,000 in 1962.
On 1 April 1965 the Ministry of Aviation handed over the airport to Glamorgan County Council and it was renamed Glamorgan (Rhoose) Airport. The council started a five-year plan to develop the airport including a new control tower, terminal building and a runway extension.
In the 1970s the supersonic airliner Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
made a few flights into the airport on special occasions. These were limited by the length of the runway, meaning it could only land lightly loaded, and only take off without passengers and with a minimal fuel load. In the 1980s, its name was changed to 'Cardiff-Wales Airport'.
1986 saw a further extension of 750 ft (229 m) to the runway, costing in the region of £1 million, thus attracting more business to the airport in the form of new-generation jet aircraft. Development of transatlantic links were made with charter flights to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, in addition to the previously-established links with Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The runway extension, enabling the airport to handle 747 jumbo jets
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
, was instrumental in attracting the British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
(BA) Maintenance facility to the airport. The maintenance hangar is one of the largest in the world at 250 metre, providing heavy airframe and engineering maintenance for the British Airways fleet and third party carriers.
In April 1995, due to planned Local Government re-organisation in Wales, the Airport Company was privatised, with shares being sold to property and development firm, TBI plc
TBI plc
TBI Limited is an airport owner and operator, incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1972.-History:The company changed name to TBI plc in March, 1994 and to TBI Limited in 2009.TBI bought Cardiff Airport in 1995....
, now a subsidiary of Abertis
Abertis
Abertis Infraestructuras, S.A. is a Spanish corporation. The company runs 6,713 kilometres of motorways in Europe and operates more than a dozen airports in cities including London, Stockholm and Orlando...
airports which also owns Stockholm Skavsta, Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
and is concessionary to Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...
and London Luton. In December 1995, Heli-air Wales began training Helicopter Pilots from the Airport's southside, and are widely accredited with pioneering Helicopter Training in Wales. Heli-air Wales moved operations to Swansea Airport in 1999, and are still trading there to this day.
The airport is not only the main maintenance base for British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
but also home to a variety of aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
-oriented firms and colleges, and therefore a major contributor to the economic development of the region.
The airport was used by 2.1 million passengers in 2008, falling to just over 1.6 million passengers in 2009, according to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority, a reduction of 18.2% since 2008, making it the 20th busiest airport in the UK
Busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic
The tables below contain CAA data from 2006 to 2009, on the busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic, including information on international, domestic and transit counterparts...
in terms of passenger numbers. Based on UK Civil Aviation Authority statistics, Cardiff Airport is currently the worst performing of all major UK airports in passenger support terms.
Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways was a Welsh airline based in Cardiff, Wales, which started operations in 1935. It was incorporated into British Airways in 1976.-Company history:...
from 1935 to 1976, Airways International Cymru
Airways International Cymru
Airways International Cymru was an airline based in Cardiff, Wales formed by Red Dragon Travel, at the time a leading Welsh travel agency and tour operator...
until the airline ceased schedules operations in 1988, and Air Wales
Air Wales
Air Wales was an airline based at Cardiff International Airport in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan. It operated scheduled regional services within Great Britain, as well as to Ireland, Belgium and France...
until the airline ceased scheduled operations in March 2006.
Flybe
Flybe
Flybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...
has completed the installation of three new self service electronic check-in kiosks at the airport, offering passengers an additional choice at check-in. Flybe is the first airline to invest in this technology at the airport.
On 2 March 2009 the airport management revealed a name change for the airport along with initial development plans to improve the image of the facility. Following a brand review involving consultation with a number of key stakeholders the name Cardiff Airport and Maes Awyr Caerdydd replaced Cardiff International Airport.
However, it emerged that the Airport had applied for £5 million of payments from the Welsh Assembly Government to deal with unspecified development at the terminal. This attracted immediate public criticism and requests that the airport's owners, Abertis, match such an investment with a £6 million route development programme.
Public Service Obligation Flights
On 21 February 2007 the airport announced that the airport would host the first Public Service ObligationPublic Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
(PSO) service to be operated in Wales. Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
based airline Highland Airways
Highland Airways
Highland Airways was an airline based in Inverness, Scotland. It ceased trading on 24 March 2010 after failing to secure new investment. The airline operated passenger and freight charters as well as scheduled services from its main base at Inverness Airport...
would fly several services each day between Anglesey Airport
Anglesey Airport
-Passenger statistics:-External links:***...
and Cardiff. BAe
Bae
Bae, also often spelled Pae or Pai, is a unique Korean family name. The South Korean census of 2000 found 372,064 people by this surname, or slightly less than 1% of the population....
Jetstream 31 aircraft were allocated to the route and it was hoped it would provide a quicker alternative to commuters travelling between North and South Wales, who otherwise rely on the A470 road
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
or rail. The PSO service would be subsidised by the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
for three years; after this period, the route must be completely viable to continue. In May, the Anglesey service was claimed as a success, with over 1,000 seats being booked on the service within weeks of its announcement. There are options for up to 10 flights a day. On 25 March 2010 Highland Airways went into administration, prompting the suspension of flights. Manx2
Manx2
Manx2 Limited is a virtual commuter airline, with its head office in Hangar 9, Isle of Man Airport in Ballasalla, Malew, Isle of Man. It sells flights and services from several airports in the UK with bases in Belfast City, Blackpool, Cardiff and Isle of Man...
was named as the new operator of the service on 29 April 2010 and won a 4 year contract serving the route in December 2010.
General aviation
The airport was home for many years to a number of flying clubs and small general aviation operators. These included a Helicopter Operator (www.heli-airwales.co.uk), who later moved to Swansea Airport and still trade there today, the Cambrian and Pegasus Flying Clubs and later (from the mid-1980s) the Cardiff Wales Flying Club. In 2010 a new flying school is to be set up by the company Aero, they will be based in the White Building. There is a small cafe in the White Building that offers facilities for private aircraft owners.Future
A new airline was mooted as a new home carrier at the airport; and if it was launched, FlyforbeansFlyforbeans
Flyforbeans was the proposed brand name for a prospective airline to be based in Wales intending to commence operations from Cardiff Airport.- History :...
said they would operate to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. The airline intended to have routes currently unavailable from the airport and had indicated that it intended to begin operations in mid-2008, with 3 Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft initially serving up to twelve destinations in total. As of yet, no timeline has been given for the launch of the airline, nor have any of its destinations been revealed.
Following a survey conducted by the airport operator in 2008 as part of a campaign to attract additional business routes to the airport, popular destinations such as Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
were identified as lacking a current link. The airport planned to conduct up to 25 meetings with airlines during May and June 2008 to support the case for more routes.
Airport management announced, on 29 March 2006 a £100 million development strategy which will see the current terminal being extended, as well as upgrades to the main body of the building.
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
on the future of air transport throughout the United Kingdom. The airport's decline in passenger numbers by 2011 made such predictions unlikely.
Road access to the airport by way of the A48 trunk road
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
was the subject of a public inquiry
Public inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
in 2006 but this is now superseded by needs of the forthcoming Defence Training Academy at MoD St Athan, the bid for which included plans for a direct St Athan
St Athan
St Athan is a village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales.-History and amenities:The English name is a corruption of the Welsh female Saint Tathan, described by Iolo Morgannwg as the daughter of the King of Gwent. The village and parish church is dedicated to St Tathan. There are...
and airport link to the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
.
Costing around £3m, half funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, extensive refurbishment is expected starting with the redevelopment of the front of the airport terminal and approach areas. The development works include an extension to the front of the terminal linking the arrivals and departures halls into one large common area, providing new food and retail services. As part of the work the first floor of the terminal will become 'airside' as the security control point to access the departures lounge is relocated to the first floor, above the existing arrivals hall and accessed through the new extension. The approach area in front of the terminal building will also be redesigned and landscaped.
Subsequently, it emerged that Cardiff Airport was seeking £5 million from Welsh taxpayers, without specifying what works might be carried out. Public objections to this investment may be expected prior to the May elections for the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
.
With the delivery of new Embraer
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
aircraft to the fleet, Flybe has stated that it is looking at expanding its Cardiff presence with routes to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Lyon and several others from 2011 onwards.
It was announced on 13 April 2011 that Bmibaby
Bmibaby
Bmibaby Limited is a small British low-cost airline and a subsidiary of British Midland International. It flies to destinations in the UK and Europe from its bases at Belfast-City, Birmingham and East Midlands airports....
are to close their base at Cardiff Airport, along with their base at Manchester Airport in October in order to redeploy aircraft at their other bases, including the creation of a new operation at Belfast City Airport. The base closed on 30 October 2011.
It was announced on 28 October 2011, that Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling Airlines
Vueling Airlines
Vueling Airlines SA , commonly shortened to Vueling, is an airline based in El Prat de Llobregat, near Barcelona , where it maintains its main operating base...
are to open a new route to Barcelona commencing 27th March 2012. The airline will operate a three times weekly service.
Airlines and destinations
Cargo and Mail services
Statistics
EWLINE
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| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | % Change 2009 / 10 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Netherlands - Amsterdam |
125,118 | 7 | |
| 2 | - Edinburgh Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements... |
111,456 | 31 | |
| 3 |  Spain - AlicanteAlicante Airport Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty... |
92,444 | 15 | |
| 4 | Spain - Palma de Mallorca Palma de Mallorca Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport is an airport located east of Palma, Majorca, adjacent to the village of Can Pastilla. Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeroport de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid's Barajas Airport and Barcelona Airport... |
87,764 | 20 | |
| 5 | Spain - Malaga Málaga Airport Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol.... |
79,177 | 32 | |
| 6 | - Dublin Dublin Airport Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon... |
69,660 | 8 | |
| 7 |  Turkey - DalamanDalaman Airport - Traffic Statistics :Source: DHMI.gov.tr... |
65,251 | 24 | |
| 8 | Spain - Tenerife South Tenerife South Airport Tenerife South Airport , previously known as Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport, is one of two international airports located on the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands . Between its opening and the end of 2006, a total of 173,912,207 passengers passed through the airport... |
59,431 | 3 | |
| 9 | - Glasgow-International Glasgow International Airport Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire... |
52,400 | 7 | |
| 10 |  Portugal - FaroFaro Airport -Incidents and accidents:*On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 skidded off the runway in bad weather at Faro Airport killing 54 passengers and two crew out of a total of 340 people on board.... |
45,440 | 26 | |
| 11 | - Belfast City | 41,594 | 27 | |
| 12 | Spain - Ibiza Ibiza Airport Ibiza Airport is the airport serving the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Formentera in Spain, used by 95% of all people who arrive at or depart from these two islands... |
34,731 | 7 | |
| 13 |  Egypt - Sharm el-SheikhSharm el-Sheikh International Airport Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport , formerly known as Ophira International Airport, is an international airport located in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt... |
34,615 | 38 | |
| 14 | Spain - Arrecife Arrecife Airport -Statistics:-Accidents and incidents:*On 31 October 2008, an Air Europa flight from Glasgow overran the runway. No injuries were reported amongst the 74 passengers and crew.-External links:* *... |
34,516 | 14 | |
| 15 |  France - Paris Charles de Gaulle |
34,308 | 14 | |
| 16 |  Cyprus - Paphos |
25,754 | 1 | |
| 17 | Turkey - Bodrum Milas-Bodrum Airport Milas-Bodrum Airport is an international airport that serves the Turkish towns of Bodrum and Milas. The airport is situated 36km northeast of the town of Bodrum, and 16km south of Milas. A spacious new international terminal was completed in 2000.... |
24,670 | 14 | |
| 18 |  Tunisia - Monastir |
23,950 | 1,064 | |
| 19 | Spain - Las Palmas |
23,430 | 24 | |
| 20 |  Jersey - JerseyJersey Airport -Busiest routes:Some airlines offer services between Jersey and other destinations with an intermediate stop at Guernsey. There are also periodic charter flights to European holiday destinations, Madeira and ski destinations operated by airlines such as Aurigny Air Services, Europe Airpost, Palmair... |
22,164 | 12 | |
| Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority The Civil Aviation Authority is the public corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA head office is located in the CAA House on Kingsway in Holborn, London Borough of Camden... http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=80&pagetype=88&pageid=3&sglid=3 |
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Public transport
The nearest railway station to the airport is Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway stationRhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station
Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Rhoose and Cardiff Airport. A dedicated shuttle bus connects this station with the airport terminal building....
on the Vale of Glamorgan Line
Vale of Glamorgan Line
The Vale of Glamorgan Line is a commuter railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Bridgend via Barry, Rhoose and Llantwit Major. There are also branch lines to Penarth and Barry Island. As its names suggests, the line runs through the Vale of Glamorgan....
. This is linked by a free shuttle bus
Rail linc
rail linc is a brand name applied to various dedicated rail-feeder buses in the Sewta region of South Wales.Unlike other local bus services, they are for the use of rail passengers only and the vehicles are usually fitted with National Rail ticket machines....
to the departures terminal. Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
provides regular services to Cardiff Central Station
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
and Bridgend
Bridgend railway station
Bridgend railway station is a mainline railway station serving the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It is located approximately halfway between Cardiff Central and Swansea at the point where the Maesteg Line diverges from the South Wales Main Line, and is the western terminus of the Vale of...
, connecting it to the South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
.
Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. Its hub is Cardiff central bus station...
, EST Buses and Veolia Transport Cymru
Veolia Transport Cymru
Veolia Transport Cymru is a division of the Veolia Transport group , part of the French multinational Veolia Environnement. Formed by the purchase of a number of smaller independent coach and bus firms, the company has its headquarters in Parc Nantgarw, mid way between Cardiff and...
buses serve the airport and provide regular shuttle services to Cardiff central bus station
Cardiff Central bus station
Cardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.The station used...
and the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
.
By road
The airport is 10 mi (16.1 km) from the M4 and is signposted. From M4 junction 33 (Cardiff West), it is reached via the A4232A4232 road
The A4232, which is also known either as the Peripheral Distributor Road or the Cardiff Link Road , is a distributor road in Cardiff, the capital of Wales....
(towards Central Cardiff) exiting at Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross is suburban district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying on the border with the Vale of Glamorgan.The busy Culverhouse Cross roundabout is an important part of the primary road network to the west of the city and connects the A4232 , the A4050 , and...
, and then following the A4050
A4050 road
The A4050 road connects Barry, Vale of Glamorgan with Culverhouse Cross on the outskirts of Cardiff, Wales. It is approximately long.Wenvoe village lies along the road....
to Barry and finally the A4226
A4226 road
The A4226 is a main road linking Bonvilston to Barry and Cardiff International Airport in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.-First stage:...
towards Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major is a small coastal town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the Bristol Channel coast. A small stream, the Afon Col-huw, runs through the town.-Local government:...
. Another signposted route from the M4, from West Wales, is from Junction 37 near Pyle
Pyle
Pyle is a village and community in Bridgend county borough, Wales. Pyle railway station is on the Cardiff - Swansea section of the London - South Wales main line....
, which follows the A48
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
past Cowbridge then south along the A4226
A4226 road
The A4226 is a main road linking Bonvilston to Barry and Cardiff International Airport in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.-First stage:...
. However, there is a direct unmarked route from M4 Junction 34 (Miskin), following the country lane though Hensol, then at the crossroads (Sycamore Cross) with the A48, continuing along the A4226 to the airport.
Access improvement
With the growth in usage of the airport, traffic along the current access roads has become more acute leading to the Welsh Assembly GovernmentWelsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
to commission a study on improving road access to the airport. The consultants suggested three possible schemes:
- Widening the A4232 to three lanes between M4 Junction 33 and Culverhouse. A bypass would have been built connecting the A4232 directly to the A4050 to avoid the busy Culverhouse Cross roundabout.
- Constructing a new bypass road to link the A4232 directly to the A48 (Tumble Hill) before Culverhouse Cross. Airport traffic would then have travelled to Sycamore Cross then join the A4226 to the Airport. Improvements will be made to allow speeds to increase.
- Directing traffic from Junction 34 (Miskin) to Sycamore Cross then onto the A4226 to the airport. Improvements would have been made to the route with new straighter sections added.
Airport management favour option 3, which would have eased pressure from the A4232 and provide a more direct access route from Mid
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
and South West Wales
South West Wales
South West Wales is a region of Wales. A definition consisting of the unitary authorities of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire is used by a number of government agencies and private organisations including:*BBC...
, and the South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
.
The National Assembly for Wales announced in June 2009 that the plans for a new access road would be dropped in favour of increased public transport frequency by bus and by rail instead.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council agreed to hand over a publicly owned road passing in front of the airport terminal to control of the airport authority on security grounds. reference Subsequently, the airport has imposed a £1 user toll on this road, without returning any income to its original public owners.
Executive aviation
Signature Flight Support the Worlds largest FBO are present on the north side of the airfield serving executive aircraft that visit the airport.Signature Flight Support is due to relocate to the ground floor of the White Building on the south side of the airport in summer 2010 in time for the Ryder Cup.Dragonfly Executive Air Charter operate three Beechcraft King Air 200 series
Beechcraft Super King Air
The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series...
aircraft. The company office is based on the south side of the airfield.
See also
- Wales Air Network
- Transport in WalesTransport in WalesThis article is about means of transport within Wales. The geography of Wales has been a key influence on the development of its transport system, with the main settlements lying on the coasts of North and South Wales, while Mid Wales is lightly populated...
- Transport in CardiffTransport in CardiffTransport in Cardiff, capital and most populous city in Wales involves road, rail, bus, water and air. Several factors have influenced the development of its transport network...
- Aeronautical Information Publication United KingdomAeronautical Information PublicationIn aviation, an Aeronautical Information Publication is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization as a publication issued by or with the authority of a state and containing aeronautical information of a lasting character essential to air navigation...