6G CWL-BRU & new RDF

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Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 454

Air Wales will launch a twice daily service from CWL-BRU next March. Timing or price not available as of yet, but expected to be aimed at the business market. Which leads me on to my next point....

The Welsh Assembly Government has announced a new route development fund of £4m. The money will be spent on attracting airlines to start both domestic and international services from airports in Wales (basically CWL). It's like a subsidy, so the WAG share the risk of starting up the new route. The funding will be available for 4 years, with the maxium time a carrier using the funding 3 years. The idea is they will then continue to operate the route alone. The money will not be given out randomly though, and airlines will have to meet certain passenger targets to continue to benefit. This means the onus is on them to time the routes well, to make it a success and get the money. A similiar scheme in Scotland attracted 20 new routes over 2 years, so they are hoping this Welsh version will have the same success. Apparently it greatly increases the probability that new services to North America and the middle east will come to the airport, as well as European routes. The airport management are in talks with several airlines about starting up transatlantic routes. However the European service most requested by passengers, Frankfurt, may be hard to get, as there arent any landing slots available at FRA. Still theres plenty more routes we want and this is great news! Also, expansion has started. An old domestic pier no longer used is being demolished to make way for more aircraft. Despite the fact that pax numbers dropped in the first quarter, it's been a good year for CWL. Numbers have picked up and:

- Zoom have extended the Toronto service further into the winter, and it will"start"in February next year, meaning that its a continuous service.
They also announced Vancouver from next year

- Air Wales expanded routes (sort of) and announced ORK, BHD and BRU for next year. They also carried record number of pax.

- Thomsonfly (charter) announced massive exopansion boosting their capacity at the airport by 500,000. As well as the exisisting 757, they are basing a 737-800 at the airport for massively increased frequencies on European routes. They will also base a 767-300 at the airport 3 days a week serving Orlando, with increased frequency, Puerta Plata and Cancun (the only airport to serve these west of London and south of Birmingham). Thomsonfly (loco) announced 4 routes to Spain.

- Excel announced they would be moving into the airport serving 12 European destinations, with capacity for 100,000.

- Air Southwest anounced services to NQY & MAN

- Alpha One will serve IOM (supposedly from Jan 18th but you never know)

- Aer Arann will serve DUB & BHD

- bmibaby anounced a 3rd 737 would be based at the airport, with new routes direct to GLA, BFS and AMS. Increased frequency on routes to the Med. Considering basing a 4th a/c.

- New route development fund

OK, a great year for announcements! But 2006 should be even better, when all those announcements become real flights, and hopefully even more will be made! :D

Original post

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 4,255

Great news for CWL!

I wonder what is the future for the possibility of a Cardiff-Valley route now, as Arriva Trains Wales have introduced a 2 hourly service between North and South Wales in their new timetable?

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,289

Im quite surprised with the reintroduction of the BRU route, as didn't they drop it because of poor loads :confused: Great news for CWL anyway! :D

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 1,887

I hope there will be a similar RDF intorduced for the English regions (particularly Yorkshire and the Humber)

Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 454

Great news for CWL!

I wonder what is the future for the possibility of a Cardiff-Valley route now, as Arriva Trains Wales have introduced a 2 hourly service between North and South Wales in their new timetable?

It is still going ahead. WAG are paying for upgrades to Valley which will take place next year, and flights will start as soon as this is done. It's hoped flights should be able to commence around October, if not then, January 07.

[QUOTE=G-CDFF]Im quite surprised with the reintroduction of the BRU route, as didn't they drop it because of poor loads Great news for CWL anyway!

Yes poor load factors was the reason, but it was low frequency and timings were stupid. It was absolutely useless to business and not that conveniant for leisure. Although no times have been announced yet, we know it will be twice daily and mainly aimed at business pax, which is where most business will come from. Air Wales will want to make it work this time too as they are the first to use the new RDF

Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 454

I hope there will be a similar RDF intorduced for the English regions (particularly Yorkshire and the Humber)

Are there any subsidy systems like this in England at all? Doesn't BRS-NWK get subsidised? If so, how long does it last

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,064

Are there any subsidy systems like this in England at all? Doesn't BRS-NWK get subsidised? If so, how long does it last

This is the first I have heard of this, but if this is true I believe it would be subsidised by the airport. Airports do subsidise new routes or increased frequencies in some instances when the airport wants more routes opened - typically the smaller ones.

Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 454

This is the first I have heard of this, but if this is true I believe it would be subsidised by the airport. Airports do subsidise new routes or increased frequencies in some instances when the airport wants more routes opened - typically the smaller ones.

I've read elsewhere that it is subsidised, I think for the first year, but I don't know who by. At the time I read it load factors were only 48%