Cardiff Airport is on track to hit its target of passenger numbers recovering to around 50% of pre-pandemic levels for its current financial year, despite low-cost airline Wizz Airport pulling its base for the winter season.
The Rhoose-based airport, which is owned by the Welsh Government but operated by an at arm’s length commercial company, said it experienced a better than expected May through to August which will continue until the middle of September, when Hungarian-owned airline Wizz Air ceases its base from the airport and the cancelling of what was planned as its first winter season following its inaugural summer one. Wizz will though operate two winter routes, using other aircraft, from Cardiff to Milan (Malpensa) and Bucharest.
The airline has been more adversely impacted by the cost of hedging fuel costs than some competitive airlines. Its planned winter scheduled formed part of a business plan that predated the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.
