cardiff airport history
Cardiff Airport began life in the early 1940s when the Air Ministry requisitioned land in the Vale of Glamorgan to set up a wartime aerodrome and training base for RAF Spitfire pilots.
The original Cardiff Airport operated at Pengam Moors (Cardiff Bay) from 1931 to 1954. This was the birthplace of Cambrian Airways, a major Welsh airline for many years at the Rhoose site.
The commercial potential of the runway was recognised in the early 1950s with Aer Lingus starting a service to Dublin in 1952. A new terminal building followed, along with flights to France, Belfast and Cork.
With the first transatlantic flight in 1971, further investment led to the development of the current terminal building and control tower. After Manx Airlines established their European air route hub at Cardiff, offering daily services to key business destinations within Europe, passenger levels exceeded 100,000 for the first time in a single year.
Passenger traffic at Cardiff Airport grew by 5% to a record 2.1 million in 2007, and the airport directly supports more than 1,000 jobs in South Wales. It is part of TBI Abertis, which owns, operates or provides services at 13 airports in five countries.
