Welsh Government
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
One year on and still flying high
The service, operated by Highland Airways, has carried over 14,000 passengers since its first flight on the 8th May last year. It provides two daily return flights from Monday to Friday between Maes Awyr Môn on Anglesey and Cardiff International Airport.
Mr Jones, also Minister for the Economy & Transport said:
This service has been a huge success, beating all expectations. The demand reflects the need for this connection, an important development that is serving the business and leisure markets in Wales.
Efficient, convenient transport networks within Wales are vital to stimulate enterprise and support economic growth. The air service links Welsh communities and businesses and plays a part in helping to draw together the nation, in line with the ambitions we set out in ‘One Wales’.
Highland Airways was selected by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide the service. The flight from Anglesey takes around one hour, while Cardiff Airport is 25 minutes from the centre of the capital by road or rail.
Colin Munro, Contracts Manager for Highland Airways said:
We are astonished at the uptake for this service. Passenger numbers have exceeded all of our expectations. We have faced many challenges making this new service a success. However, we perhaps face an even bigger challenge meeting the huge demand for travel within Wales.
The Isle of Anglesey County Council owns and manages the Maes Awyr Môn.
Derrick Jones, Managing Director for the Council said:
The project has been all about partnership working, we are delighted with what has been achieved by working with the Welsh Assembly Government and the RAF at Valley on this project. There is no doubt that the service has already benefited Anglesey and north - west Wales. Its potential should not be underestimated.
Supporting business
The service has provided a significant boost for business. Cambrensis Communications is a bilingual communications agency, with offices in Cardiff and Caernarfon. The north-south divide is a thing of the past for the company which, twelve months on, continues to use the Cardiff-Anglesey air service on a regular basis.
Rhodri Ellis Owen, Chairman of Cambrensis Communications said:
This route is certainly a boon for us as a business. There is no longer a feeling of distance separating our two offices and we can offer an enhanced ‘We’ll be there when you need us’ service for our clients in north or south Wales. I can now easily offer to attend meetings or events in north Wales in the morning, yet be back in Cardiff the same day if necessary, refreshed.
As a small company we not only find we save considerable time and expense through flying this route but that staff members find it to be a much more relaxing and convenient means of travel between the two tips of Wales. I can also say that the flights have always been on time which again is something we now take for granted and can depend on.” added Mr Ellis Owen.
Keeping families connected
Eirian Roberts is a sports and dance instructor Anglesey. She recently travelled on the air service to take her grandmother to Cardiff for her 90th Birthday.
Eirian said:
I decided to take my gran by air to Cardiff for her 90th birthday, it would be too long a trip by car or train for her and she has always wanted to fly. The staff were excellent and assisted me in organising our travel arrangements, on the day they were very helpful and treated my gran like royalty, which really contributed to a fantastic day out.
The terminal at Valley is spotlessly clean and excellently run, the cabin crew assisted my gran on and off the flight in a very professional way, and she has since expressed how much she enjoyed the day. The flight was really comfortable and was on time.
Having found out how easy it is to fly between Anglesey and Cardiff I have decided to book out the whole plane later in the year, I’m planning on taking my dance students to Cardiff on a Friday and flying back on a Monday
Since our trip I have been recommending the airline to everyone, the service is excellent, it’s such a life line for north Wales and I hope it will stay long-term.
David Jones moved to Llanelli from the Isle of Anglesey over 30 years ago and uses the north south link to visit his parents six to eight times a year.
Mr Jones said:
This service is excellent. I visit my parents at all times of the year and have found that travelling by air has cut my journey time right down, especially when the weather has been bad. When I used to drive from Llanelli to home it took four and a half to five and a half hours and I would arrive feeling really tired, now I can leave the house at five thirty, check in a six thirty and be at my parent’s house before nine feeling relaxed.
Notes to Editors
Background to North – South Air Link:
- The UK Government’s Air Transport White Paper of December 2003 identified the potential for new intra-Wales services, particularly for those that would link north and south Wales.
- The Welsh Assembly Government subsequently undertook a scoping study to investigate this potential more fully, followed by an extensive consultation with stakeholders.
- In light of this work, the Welsh Assembly Government developed a Public Service Obligation (PSO) application for submission to the Department for Transport.
- The Department for Transport imposed a Public Service Obligation (PSO) on the air route between Cardiff and RAF Valley on Anglesey in December 2005 and the Welsh Assembly Government worked with the Isle of Anglesey County Council and RAF Valley to bring this project to fruition.
- The Welsh Assembly Government is providing £2.4 million over three years for the service.
Flight times and aircraft:
- Flights depart Cardiff International Airport at 07:30am each morning and depart from Anglesey on the return sector at 08:55am. In the afternoon the Cardiff departure is at 16:15pm and Anglesey at 17:40pm. On Fridays the afternoon timetable is advanced by one hour to suit the earlier evening closure of RAF Valley.
- A fully pressurised Jetstream 31 is used for this service offering a passenger capacity of 18 seats each way and a maximum fare of £49.99 for a single journey on what is termed as a PSO (Public Service Obligation) route, the first ever such operation in Wales.
