Labour ministers have been accused of not having a detailed plan on how to improve the under-performing Cardiff Airport by the Welsh Conservatives.
Forty-four flights were set to take off from nearby Bristol Airport in the space of 15 hours on August 12, whereas in Cardiff only 31 flights were due to take off over seven days from August 12 to August 17.
The inferior departure schedule is the latest in a long line of blows for the Rhoose-based airport with Aer Lingus' operators Stobart Air going into liquidation and Wizz Air has announcing it won’t be flying out of the airport until next summer at the earliest.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar, said:
“Cardiff Airport has the potential to be a thriving transport hub, but I can’t see that happening under this Labour Welsh Government with their inaction and lack of ambition.
“We need to see a detailed plan of how ministers in Cardiff Bay are going to improve the airport because it’s clear they haven’t got one in place at the moment.
“Labour’s failed vanity project has seen passenger numbers fall by 87% during the pandemic, making it the most affected airport in the UK, and Wizz Air’s news that it won’t start flying out of the airport until summer 2022 is another blow.
“With life starting to return to normal and with more countries being added to the government’s green list for travel, it is vital Labour ministers act now to get more flights landing at and departing from Cardiff Airport to help our economy and tourism industry bounce back.
“If this Welsh Labour Government cannot come up with a real plan, then maybe it’s time they sell the airport to a private company which knows what it is doing.”
