NEW FIGURES reveal Cardiff Airport made a loss of more than £4.6 million in the year to March 2023.
The troubled airport was sold to the Welsh Government for £52 million in 2013, and in March 2021, then-Economy and Transport Minister Ken Skates announced the airport would receive a five-year recovery grant of £42.6 million, and separately, £42.6 million of the airport’s debts would be written off.
In total, more than £130 million of taxpayers’ money has been invested in the airport since the 2013 Welsh Government purchase, leading to calls from the Welsh Conservatives for them to cut their losses and sell it.
Passenger numbers for 2023 were slightly lower than the previous year, but the figures are especially concerning since Covid restrictions were still in place during the early months of 2022, whereas throughout 2023 flights were able to operate as normal.
A total of 816,951 passengers flew from Cardiff Airport in 2023 compared to 831,962 the previous year, representing a 1.8% decrease, and the numbers remain around 50% lower than the 2019 pre-pandemic figure of 1,654,920.
The Welsh Government says it is hoping to make more use of its land on the site and to diversify its business.
Cardiff Airport’s recovery was dealt a major blow in January 2023 when Hungarian airline Wizz Air announced it was withdrawing all routes less than a year after it began operating from the base.
Last year, Cardiff Airport bosses expressed hopes Qatar Airways would resume flights by the end of 2023, but it is yet to return.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We’re committed to maintaining an airport in Wales because of the benefits it brings to the Welsh economy and its local supply chain.
“The airport generates over £240m GVA [Gross Value Added] to the Welsh economy, annually. The executive team continues to work hard to restore flights and diversify the business as part of its recovery from the pandemic.
“Commercial discussions remain ongoing between Cardiff Airport and the airline regarding the resumption of the Qatar Airways Doha service from Cardiff.”
The Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Minister for Transport Natasha Asghar said: “We were told Qatar Airways were coming back in December, yet here we are in February and there is no sign of flights to Doha.
“Diversification of the airport has to be the utmost priority for Labour’s Transport Minister, if more operators do not come on board Cardiff Airport’s losses will only grow.”
Last April, Eastern Airways launched a daily service from Cardiff to Paris-Orly, but there are concerns this is set to be axed as the airline’s website is not selling tickets for the route beyond 30 March, forcing those hoping to travel to the French capital for this summer’s Olympics to make alternative plans.
Meanwhile, Cardiff Airport has been named the UK’s least family-friendly airport by travel insurance experts at PayingTooMuch, who evaluated factors such as dedicated children’s zones, breastfeeding facilities and affordable lounge access for people with young children.
Gatwick Airport and Luton Airport came first and second, receiving praise for the amenities they provide for children and parents, while Cardiff Airport finished bottom. It was criticised for the lack of a designated children’s area and no breastfeeding facilities.
The judges found Cardiff Airport charges the same lounge fee for children as it does for adults, deeming it a “less economical choice for families”.
Upon the publication of the report, Cardiff Airport expressed its intent to improve its family-friendly offerings.
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