Welsh first minister raises Cardiff Airport concerns after 14% passenger drop
16.06.11
Welsh first Minister Carwyn Jones has called for a ‘close examination’ of the future of Cardiff Airport after a 14% drop in passenger numbers in 2010 and an 84% drop in freight handled. He said the Welsh Government would work with airport owners to help it grow.
In April the budget airline bmibaby announced it was pulling out of Cardiff, meaning the loss of nine of its services to destinations such as Geneva and Ibiza that could see a further drop in passengers this year. This prompted questions about the long-term future of the airport, which was used by 1.4m passengers last year.
At question time in the Senedd on Tuesday, Mr Jones said: ‘I am concerned about the future of the airport. With bmibaby leaving - there is no airline with a base at the airport, it's important that such a base is established. I think there needs to be a close examination of what the airport's future should be. We will work with the owners of the airport to ensure that we see growth in years to come, rather than airlines leaving.’
Conservative transport spokesman Byron Davies said: ‘While these figures do not come as a surprise, they are yet another blow to Wales' flagship airport. A decline in international travel opportunities to and from Wales is damaging to Welsh businesses and makes Wales a less attractive place to invest.’ He said ministers needed to sit down with airport officials to develop a clear strategy to ‘stem the airport's decline by making Cardiff a more attractive prospect to potential clients’.
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