Hart appeals for owners to invest in Cardiff Airport
BUSINESS Minister Edwina Hart yesterday held out the possibility of cooperation with under-fire Cardiff Airport but stressed its Spanish owners would have to provide more investment.
The airport, struggling with falling passenger numbers and departing airlines, has been the subject of two separate attacks from First Minister Carwyn Jones in the space of a week.
Last week Mr Jones was accused by the Liberal Democrats of "talking our capital city's airport down" after he said he would not want to bring people through it into Wales.
And this week he renewed his criticism, accusing it of leaving passengers locked in baggage halls and forcing people to use side doors because the front was not open.
But yesterday, appearing before the National Assembly's Enterprise and Business Committee, Ms Hart said the Welsh Government could assist the airport, but, like Mr Jones, said she had little confidence in its current Spanish owners.
Cardiff Airport, however, last night refuted the criticism.
It emerged earlier this month that the number of people using the airport fell 14% in 2011 to 1.2m, down from 1.39m in 2010. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) statistics show 900,000 fewer people used the airport than compared to four years ago.
Giving evidence to the committee's inquiry into international connectivity through Welsh ports and airports, Ms Hart said she wanted to see the airport at the heart of the proposed aviation enterprise zone centre around St Athan. She told AMs: "There are obviously concerns from members about the airport, the role of the airport, and I hope the enterprise zone will be invited to have a seat, I understand, on the board of the enterprise zone."
A spokesman later clarified that she meant the airport.
"The airport will be a key player, but to be a key player you have to be interested in making your own business work, and there's always a lot of discussion of what government can give in terms of cash and inducements, but a company's really got to be willing to think of itself what routes it needs to go for, what it needs to do, not necessarily with our assistance but perhaps with our assistance," said Ms Hart.
"Our policy is quite clear. We want Cardiff Airport to be a thriving airport, it's an important economic driver in the area. We're not convinced, however, that the current owners will provide the necessary investment to deliver this, and I think that's the key issue."
Cardiff Airport, along with TBI's other portfolio of airports which included Luton and Belfast, was acquired by Spanish firm Abertis in 2005 in a deal worth nearly pounds 900m.
Ms Hart said that there were a number of issues around the condition of the airport which were proving a "major concern" to the Welsh Government.
A spokesman for Cardiff Airport last night refuted the ministers' criticism. In a point-by-point e-mail, she said route targets were clearly presented and linked to known demand or opportunity for the region.
On declining passenger numbers she said: "The withdrawal of bmibaby for reasons to do with market conditions and the economic climate has caused the primary reduction in capacity and therefore the number of seats that can possibly be sold. Cardiff Airport has successfully completed three airline introductions in the last 12 months, each of whom has chosen Cardiff Airport and South Wales over many other regional airports in the UK."
Regarding the passenger experience, she said that, in the 2011 Thomas Cook passenger experience survey for the UK, Cardiff Airport came out on top.
And on the general building, she said: "CWL designed a new terminal and applied for planning permission to build in 2010 with planning permission received.
Unfortunately business conditions are such that it's difficult to make such an investment at this time. This topic is entirely separate to airlines being attracted to South Wales, as stated by airline Flybe in their evidence to the Enterprise and Business Committee."
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