Written question WQ96099

Thank you for the series of questions, the answers to which are publicly available.

A breakdown of the historical financial support provided to Cardiff Airport, since its purchase by the Welsh Government in 2013, can be found via the following link: Cardiff Airport: our role | GOV.WALES.

My Written Statement sets out details of the current investment package, which is to be provided over a ten year period and we have already made the first £20 million of that investment: Written Statement: Enabling the economic growth potential of Cardiff Airport and the South Wales region (2 April 2025) | GOV.WALES.

The annual breakdown of number of flights, number of passengers and the volume of cargo carried through Cardiff Airport since its procurement by the Welsh Government in 2013 can be found on the Civil Aviation Authority website via the following link; Data and analysis | UK Civil Aviation Authority. Air Transport statistics for Cardiff Airport including aircraft movements, passengers and freight handled and international air passenger traffic for 2023 and historic years can be found on our website; Air transport: 2023 | GOV.WALES

The overarching objective of the ten-year subsidy is to address inequality in the Welsh economy compared to the rest of the UK by growing the aviation sector and aerospace businesses with the Airport at the centre. We consider that the subsidy investment package provides the best means for delivering that objective.

As set out in the written statement of the previous Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and North Wales on 22 July 2024, we are open to seeking private sector investment and to exploring different ownership models in the longer term: Written Statement: Cardiff Wales Airport – long term strategy (22 July 2024) | GOV.WALES

Cardiff Airport is operated at an arms-length as a private limited company. The Welsh Ministers do not intervene in the airport’s day-to-day commercial operating matters, and any questions relating to such, including numbers of car parking spaces, would need to be directed to the executive team of the Airport.

An annual breakdown of the wage bill and total number of employees at Cardiff Airport since its purchase by the Welsh Government in 2013 can be found by accessing the Airport’s annual audited accounts, which are published on Companies House and can be found via the following link;

CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

Aviation Policy is a reserved matter for the UK Government. Details of the current UK Government’s Aviation Strategy “Aviation 2050 – the future of UK aviation”, which was published under the 2016 to 2019 UK Government, can be found via the following link: Aviation 2050 — the future of UK aviation - GOV.UK

Details of the long-term strategy of the Welsh Ministers for Cardiff Airport have been published in the Written Statements:

Written Statement: Cardiff Wales Airport – long term strategy (22 July 2024) | GOV.WALES

and:

Written Statement: Enabling the economic growth potential of Cardiff Airport and the South Wales region (2 April 2025) | GOV.WALES.

The latest published and audited valuation of Cardiff Airport can be found by accessing WGC Holdco Ltd’s annual audited accounts, which are published on Companies House and can be found via the following link: WGC HOLDCO LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

Taking account of all information available to it, including an updated independent valuation of the principal land and property assets, the directors of WGC Holdco Ltd agreed a valuation of £21.9m for the year ended 31 March 2024.