Written question WQ88467

The pandemic has presented significant challenges for Cardiff Airport since March 2020 and as such, discussions about the airport’s Masterplan have been put on hold.

Recovery and sustainability of Cardiff Airport is the current priority. We will revisit progress made against the Masterplan with the airport when the airport is on a more sustainable footing.

Cardiff Airport has recovered 28 of the 52 non-stop routes it had pre-pandemic and 58% of its 2019 passenger figures, recording 910k passengers through its terminal by the end of the last financial year (31 March 2023). Although demand is recovering, the current economic climate, tight labour market and regulatory requirements continue to present significant challenges to the aviation industry to meet that demand.

It remains this Government’s policy objective to secure the long-term future of Cardiff airport. The £42.6m rescue and recovery package the Welsh Government put in place is designed to enable Cardiff Airport to become self-sustainable and profitable in the future. We recognise that the pathway to profitability could be longer than anticipated originally but have full confidence in the airport executive team to navigate through current challenges, so we can once again focus on the longer-term vision for this essential element of Wales’ economic and transport infrastructure.