CWL gets £206m to boost passenger numbers

[FlyGLA]

If the Welsh Government is allowed to plough public money into Cardiff Airport to support growth, then presumably you’d have no issue with the Westminster Government investing an equivalent amount into Bristol Airport?

[Clive]

If the Welsh Government is allowed to plough public money into Cardiff Airport to support growth, then presumably you’d have no issue with the Westminster Government investing an equivalent amount into Bristol Airport?

Indeed. Or LTN, LGW, LHR, etc, which are all supposedly going to be going gangbusters.

But of course the Welsh Govt. have to support Wales’ only international airport. How grim would it be if they didn’t have one?

If we were talking about sea ports rather than airports or tidal energy systems or steel works or any other major infrastructure project, I wonder if we’d be having the same conversation.

[Iain]

Bristol Airport issues 'urgent' demand to Wales over Cardiff Airport plan

Its legal team is escalating its concerns to the Welsh Government

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bris ... d-10179393

[Clive]

Bristol Airport issues 'urgent' demand to Wales over Cardiff Airport plan

Its legal team is escalating its concerns to the Welsh Government

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bris ... d-10179393

Ugly NIMBY-ism from BRS who want to keep the 20% of their numbers who come from south Wales. All of this based on the fact that CWL is owned by the Welsh Govt. who had to act to save it because BRS wouldn’t have a case if CWL was privately owned.

[Billyboeing]

Totally agree Clive, BOH and EXT have also expressed their concern:-


https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2025-05- ... oFSJsAup8w

[Clive]

Totally agree Clive, BOH and EXT have also expressed their concern:-


https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2025-05- ... oFSJsAup8w

Imagine Wales’ concern if they didn’t have an airport at all…

[FlyGLA]

I disagree entirely. Bristol Airport has earned its market share through open and fair competition. Cardiff, on the other hand, has failed to keep pace, and now its politicians seem intent on using taxpayers’ money to distort and manipulate the market. It mirrors what happened in Scotland two decades ago when public intervention was used to engineer EDI's current position in the Scottish market, an approach that undermines the principles of a free market.

If Cardiff wants to compete, it should do so fairly in an open market. Crying politicians wasting taxpayers’ money is not fair, arguably not legal, and certainly not right. This is not an appropriate use of public funds.

This is not a fair or appropriate use of public funds. I believe Bristol (and Exeter and Bournemouth) will ultimately prevail, especially given that competition law exists precisely to prevent this kind of market interference.

This move reeks of protectionist NIMBYism from Cardiff, aimed at clawing back the 20% of Bristol’s passengers who come from South Wales. The only reason any of this is being entertained is because Cardiff Airport is publicly owned. If it were privately held, public money would be getting squandered and Bristol wouldn't even have a case to fight.

[FlyGLA]

Totally agree Clive, BOH and EXT have also expressed their concern:-


https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2025-05- ... oFSJsAup8w

Imagine Wales’ concern if they didn’t have an airport at all…

Let’s be clear, no one is talking about Cardiff Airport closing, and Wales isn’t at risk of losing its only airport. That’s simply not the issue here. What some Welsh politicians are complaining about is the inconvenience of not being able to fly from their local airport as often as they’d like. And rather than compete fairly, they want to throw taxpayers’ money at the problem to distort the market. It’s wrong on every level.

I can’t help but wonder if the same passionate defence would be made if this were an English airport in the same position.

[Clive]

Totally agree Clive, BOH and EXT have also expressed their concern:-


https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2025-05- ... oFSJsAup8w

Imagine Wales’ concern if they didn’t have an airport at all…

Let’s be clear, no one is talking about Cardiff Airport closing, and Wales isn’t at risk of losing its only airport. That’s simply not the issue here. What some Welsh politicians are complaining about is the inconvenience of not being able to fly from their local airport as often as they’d like. And rather than compete fairly, they want to throw taxpayers’ money at the problem to distort the market. It’s wrong on every level.

I can’t help but wonder if the same passionate defence would be made if this were an English airport in the same position.

Well there is a nationalist element in my view, of course. The small country of Wales needs a healthy international airport because that in itself creates economic activity and inward investment. The Welsh Govt. have a duty to protect that for the good of their country/people and this is exactly what they are doing.

You are right that if it was Humberside, Teesside or Manston I wouldn’t even have a view on this. I wouldn’t give a toss. But I have family in Wales and I know the Cardiff area well. I know how a bit about how it interacts with the bigger country across the Severn.

BRS is not easy to get to for folks in Wales. Nor even for folks in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, etc.

No doubt it’s the Welsh Govts. intent to return CWL to private ownership once it’s fit to be sold. In some ways public ownership is a burden, as can been seen at PIK and HIAL where competition with rivals cannot operate as it would if every facility was left in private hands. Of course none of those would exist today if that were the case.

[TonyM90]

I agree with Clive. BRS, are onto plums, tough titty.

Although for their investment it doesn't look like CWL is getting too much so far so not sure why they're so scared. Relative to the population of South Wales CWL is terribly situated. Now a new airport would really threaten BRS.