Cardiff airport to benefit from new route development fund
13.12.05
Money to entice airlines to fly more planes from Wales is to be announced by Welsh Transport Minister Andrew Davies today. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) is planning to introduce a route development fund (RDF), that will offer public money to airlines for new services that are deemed to aid the Welsh economy.
It is understood the WAG will earmark about £4m for the fund, to be spent over the next 4 years on international and domestic routes. If Scotland's experience with a similar fund is anything to go by, Cardiff airport could gain a mixture of long-haul routes, services by budget airlines and flights aimed at business travellers. The money is intended to fund the first 2 or 3 years of each new route, after which the route would operate commercially or close.
Aviation expert Martin Evans said an RDF for Wales would be beneficial. 'It's going to encourage airlines to start new routes to Cardiff that might otherwise have been marginal or delayed by several years.'
'Scotland has had over 20 new routes in 2 years. One of those routes linked Glasgow to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. It would be very important to Wales if we did get a service to the Middle East. It would open up the whole of the Middle East and Far East through connections through Dubai.'
Cardiff airport is likely to be the main beneficiary of the route development fund, although Swansea airport could gain an RDF-supported route if an airline was interested. The WAG is also planning to upgrade RAF Valley, on Anglesey, for a passenger service to Cardiff next year.
Cardiff airport currently has scheduled long-haul services only to Canada, but its long runway - suitable for jumbo jets - and the RDF money, could result in more long-distance flights. Mr Evans said a service to a German airport would be beneficial, because of trade links between the countries. However, finding a landing slot at Germany's key airport Frankfurt might be impossible.
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