The Airport Operator Spring 2025
Spencer Birns
March 2025
Prospects for Cardiff Airport, the National Airport of Wales, have been transformed by significant announcements from three major companies.
Within a space of six weeks:
• European Cargo announced that it had chosen Cardiff as the site for its second UK base, creating over 30 new jobs
• TUI announced that it is basing three aircraft for summer and two for winter at Cardiff, bolstering capacity with a new route and increased frequency to some of its most popular holiday destinations, and
• British Airways announced a multi-million-pound investment in its engineering maintenance facility at the airport.
Cardiff Airport CEO, Spencer Birns, told The Airport Operator that the three announcements were “fantastic news” for the airport and Wales and reflect the airport’s commitment to growing both its passage and non-passenger businesses through a partnership approach. There are 34 passenger destinations, and 15 airlines regularly fly from the airport, including non-passenger flights by British Airways, European Cargo, One Air and 2Excel.
He said that the decision by British air freight carrier, European Cargo, to make Cardiff its second UK base after Bournemouth had filled a long-standing gap in the airport’s portfolio, supporting Cardiff’s drive to diversify the use of the airport estate. European Cargo’s CEO, Jason Holt, said that his company had been attracted to the airport by its 24-hour operational facilities and easy road access to the motorway network.
Read on: Pages 30 - 32 AirportsUK-Magazine_Spring-2025c.pdf
