Bristol Airport flies more Welsh passengers than Cardiff

Provisional figures for 2012 indicate that more passengers from Wales use Bristol Airport than Cardiff.  Over 1 million passengers used Cardiff in 2012, down about 200,000 in a year, with nearly 6 million at Bristol.  The statistics suggest the scale of the task facing the Welsh government in improving Cardiff Airport’s fortunes as ministers finalise a deal to buy it.  It is estimated that it amounts to the equivalent of about 1.1m passengers over a year flying from Bristol, having come from or going to places in Wales. The Welsh government is expected to take over Cardiff Airport over the next few months after a slump in passenger numbers from a peak of 2m in 2007. It is negotiating a price with Spanish owners Abertis and carrying out various checks and balances on the airport’s finances. The Mayor of Bristol says both airports have their problems, and it would be better if they could work together.


 

15 February 2013 (BBC)

Bristol Airport flies more Welsh passengers than Cardiff

The figures reveal the scale of the challenge facing the Welsh government as it finalises a deal to buy Cardiff airport from its Spanish owners

More passengers from Wales use Bristol Airport than Cardiff, provisional figures for 2012’s first half indicate.

Figures previously published also showed just over 1m passengers used Cardiff in 2012, down about 200,000 in a year, with nearly 6m at Bristol.

The statistics suggest the scale of the task facing the Welsh government in improving Cardiff Airport’s fortunes as ministers finalise a deal to buy it.

The figures are based on a Civil Aviation Authority survey of Bristol.

The newer, provisional figures indicate that slightly more passengers on their way to or from Wales used Bristol than Cardiff in the first six months of 2012.

It is estimated that it amounts to the equivalent of about 1.1m passengers over a year flying from Bristol, having come from or going to places in Wales.

The CAA statistics have been provided to members of the Welsh assembly by Bristol Airport.

The Welsh government is expected to take over Cardiff Airport over the next few months after a slump in passenger numbers from a peak of 2m in 2007.

It is negotiating a price with Spanish owners Abertis and carrying out various checks and balances on the airport’s finances.

But despite the stronger position of Bristol Airport, the city’s first directly-elected mayor is concerned the takeover will create unfair competition.

In an interview for BBC Wales’ Sunday Politics Wales, George Ferguson [Mayor of Bristol] said both airports have their problems, and it would be better if they could work together.

Mr Ferguson said he supported competition, but added: “The danger is that Wales gives special deals on taxation and what have you, and it won’t be on a level playing field. So I think that’s the fear of Bristol Airport.

“But nevertheless we’ve got two unsatisfactory airports to my mind. Neither of them are well positioned.

“It would be great – I’m not proposing a [London mayor] Boris [Johnson]-style estuary airport yet but i think it would be great if we combine forces.

“But the problem is that we’ve got one in private ownership and one that’s going to be in public ownership that probably makes that combination more difficult.”

The Welsh government said it has appointed a core team of specialist advisors and contractors to assist through the period of due diligence.

A spokesman added: “As we have said repeatedly, it would not be appropriate to make any further comments on the proposed purchase while we undertake that due diligence work.

“If the opportunity arose in the future, we would be happy to explore how the two airports could work together.”

Robert Sinclair, chief executive officer at Bristol Airport, said they welcomed the mayor’s support for fair competition on a level playing field and his comments on the dangers of “special deals on taxation”.

However, he added: “We have also made significant investment to improve public transport access from across the south west and south Wales, and rank as one of the most noise efficient airports in the UK.

“So we take issue with the mayor’s view that Bristol Airport is somehow ‘unsatisfactory’ and badly positioned, neither of which is borne out by analysis of our passenger figures or consideration of environmental impacts.”

Cardiff airport has been asked to respond.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21473968

 

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See earlier:

Cardiff Airport: Carwyn Jones tells Assembly Members ‘no concerns’ over deal

January 31, 2013     The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, has said the Welsh government is close to signing a deal to buy Cardiff Airport from its current owners, Abertis. He has told Welsh Assembly Members that checks on the airport’s finances had revealed “no concerns” though some experts had told him its commercial future as an airport was limited to a few years. The deal would be subject to a final price being agreed and due diligence being carried out on the finances of the airport. Cardiff had just over one million passengers in 2012, which is a drop of some 16% compared to 2011, which was itself some 14% lower than in 2010. The airport had two million passengers in 2007, and has been in decline ever since. It has hopes of growing its passenger number by 5 – 8% this year, which appears unlikely with a continuing recession. Ministers are considering a range of options on how to run the airport. Assembly Members are concerned the airport does not become a drain on taxpayers.     Click here to view full story…

 

Cardiff Airport buyout by Welsh government: Conservatives’ question if it’s value for money

January 10, 2013     On 18th December the Welsh First Minister, Carwyn Jones announced that the Welsh government wanted to buy Cardiff Airport from its current owners, TBI. He said they would be working towards a purchase over the next few months. and hoped the airport would be run on a commercial basis by an independent commercial operator on behalf of the government. Conservatives are calling on the Welsh government to prove that buying Cardiff Airport would be good value for the taxpayer, and see it as Labour’s attempt to “nationalise” the airport. Cardiff airport has had declining passenger numbers, down 13% in 2011 to a little over 1.2m, while passengers at Bristol increased by 1%. There was a further fall in the first half of 2012 to 440,000 from 558,000 – partly due to the departure of bmibaby. Despite assurances that it will not receive subsidies or burden the taxpayer, there have been questions about whether public ownership will succeed in turning around the airport’s fortunes.     Click here to view full story…

 

Cardiff airport losing money and losing passengers to Bristol

September 11, 2012    Cardiff airport has not been doing well over recent years, with passenger numbers in 2011 down by 43% compared to the peak in 2007. Now Swiss airline, Helvetic, will move its service to Bristol. Budget airline Vueling, which operates services to Barcelona, Alicante and Palma through the summer, will not run any flights from Cardiff through the winter period either. Passengers decreased 14% year-on-year in 2011, largely due to the withdrawal of budget airline bmibaby last October. The airport made a £319,000 loss in 2011, compared with a profit of more than £1m in 2010, £333,000 profit in 2009, £4m profit in 2008 and £7.2m profit in 2007.. First Minister Carwyn Jones has set up a taskforce, which met for the first time in June, to look at securing the airport’s future. Bristol airport seems to be expanding while Cardiff shrinks, with more Welsh travellers choosing Bristol instead. [Contains several recent Cardiff news items]  Click here to view full story…