More domestic flights proposed for Cardiff
Cardiff Airport could get flights to nine UK cities including London, Manchester and Aberdeen under proposals put forward by the Welsh Government.
Economy Secretary Ken Skates has suggested to the UK Government and the European Commission these flights should be exempt from air passenger duty as they would be ‘public service’ routes providing vital links between Wales and other parts of the UK.
Other potential routes under consideration are Leeds Bradford, Humberside, Newquay, Glasgow, Inverness and Norwich.
Skates has suggested airlines should be allowed to operate exclusively on the routes for four years, to make them a more attractive proposition for carriers.
Services are expected to start in spring next year, assuming airlines apply to operate them.
However, some of the routes have already been tried by airlines, including Flybe, but they were axed due to insufficient passengers.
Flybe was forced to cancel flights between Cardiff and London City due to disappointing traffic, despite the fact they were often cheaper than the train.
Other flights such as Cardiff-Glasgow already have a daily return service but ministers want to increase that to twice daily to boost demand from the business community.
The Welsh government would provide a ‘modest marketing budget’ for the routes but no further subsidy, it said.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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