Airport must rally after mixed fortunes
THE news of Flybe’s collapse is a savage blow, but I am sure Cardiff Airport will survive and flourish, as promised by its chief executive. It is another example of the problems Britain’s smaller airport have suffered over many years.
The Welsh Government must have the courage and determination to continue to support Wales’ only major airport, something the national government has dismally failed to do.
The airport at Rhoose flourished due to the foresight of the former Glamorgan County Council, which spent £6m developing it into Cardiff’s airway to the world. A new terminal was opened in December 1972 by Prince Philip and by linking with Schiphol, Amsterdam and Ireland, the airport provided worldwide routes and new direct services were started to north America.
When local government in Wales was reorganised in 1974 the airport was taken over by the three new counties, West, Mid and South Glamorgan. Millions more were spent on the terminal buildings and lengthening the runway and the airport was promoted nationally and internationally. After 10 years the publicly owned airport started to make a profit – I wrote the press release telling the good news.
The prospect of further growth worsened when, not allowed to borrow for new projects, the airport had to become a company, at first still under the three counties.
In 1995 it was bought by the tbi plc group with an ambitious multi-million-pound development programme. It was a boom time, with passenger numbers reaching two million.
Taken over by a Spanish firm, Cardiff Airport continued to thrive but then Bmibaby, one of its main airlines, cut its services. The Labour government and then the coalition initially backed the expansion of Britain’s regional airports but in 2016 hopes were dashed by the Airports Commission final report, which preferred expanding Heathrow rather than regional airports.
The future of Cardiff Airport now rests with the Welsh Government, which in 2013 gave the airport back to the people of Cardiff and Wales.
It would be a tragedy if the airport were not to continue. Bob Skinner Cardiff (Former South Glamorgan county Public Relations Officer and Cardiff Airport Information and Marketing Officer)