Welsh Conservatives describe reports on the future of Cardiff Airport as a “hammer blow to the industry and jobs”, having been told that WIZZ Air and TUI are preparing to stop flying out of Cardiff airport until next year at the earliest.
This is a further blow to the airport with Aer Lingus' operators Stobart Air already going into liquidation and the airport seeing an 87% decline in passengers during the pandemic, making it the worst affected airport in the UK.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS said:
“The aviation industry has already been badly hit by coronavirus but if these latest reports come to fruition, then it would be a hammer blow to the industry and jobs in Wales.
“Even before the pandemic hit, passenger numbers had not met the Welsh Government’s own targets and the airport has recently been valued at just £15m, despite the Welsh Government paying £52m in 2013. The airport has been in the hands of Labour ministers for 8 years now yet all we’ve seen is failure after failure.
“We need an urgent statement from the Welsh Government about its plans for the airport if these reports turn out to be true, and how it plans save the airport from becoming an obsolete white elephant.”