Cardiff Airport, owned by the Welsh Government, experienced a 9% increase in passenger numbers last year, with 963,000 passengers and a 4% rise in air traffic movements. This growth was largely driven by Ryanair and TUI, as well as a 7% increase in cargo volumes thanks to European Cargo’s new base.

The airport is continuing to invest in route development, with plans for new services in 2021 and 2022. Ryanair will operate its busiest summer yet, in its 12th year of operations at Cardiff, with extra frequency added to its five routes. TUI will also be increasing frequencies to Antalya, Enfidha, Gran Canaria, Palma, and Tenerife, as well as adding new routes to Faro and Hurghada. They also have plans for further growth in the 2026-27 winter season, with new services to Kittilä (Finland) and the Dominican Republic.

Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet will launch a new four-times-weekly service from Cardiff to Toronto Pearson in May 2026. This route is expected to have a positive impact on the airport, with 21,320 seats already available for purchase for the inaugural summer season. KLM and Vueling also continue to operate services to Amsterdam, Malaga, and Alicante, providing global hub connectivity.

P&O Cruises has expanded its fly-cruise program with additional flights to Barbados and a new destination, although the airport did not provide a projected passenger figure for 2026.

However, a legal challenge by Bristol Airport against Welsh Government’s plans to provide £205m in subsidy support over a 10-year period is still ongoing. Bristol Airport argues that this funding breaches the post-EU state aid regime and puts them at a commercial disadvantage. The Welsh Government maintains that the support is necessary to support the wider Welsh economy and estimates that the airport generates a £220m positive impact on the Welsh economy.

The outcome of this legal challenge will greatly affect the ability of Cardiff Airport to accelerate its passenger numbers, as the funding is intended to attract new routes and diversify away from passenger-related revenues. The airport, which was acquired by the Welsh Government in 2013 for £52m, has invested nearly £200m since then, with a large portion of that being repayable loans converted into equity.

In its last financial year, the airport saw an improvement in revenue from £19. 33m to £19. 8m, and a positive pre-EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) of £5. 7m. However, with the receipt of an £11. 8m grant from the Welsh Government for a five-year post-Covid recovery plan, the airport’s EBITDA slipped into the red at £5. 57m.

Former chief executive Spencer Birns left the airport in March of last year, with a payment of