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New arrivals at Cardiff Airport
27 January 2005
Catherine Zeta Jones, Sean Connery and Jack Nicholson (look-a-likes) were among the guests who joined in the official opening celebration of the new arrivals concourse at Cardiff International Airport this week.
Officially opened by Wales Tourist Board's Chief Executive
Jonathan Jones and Cardiff International Airport's Managing
Director Jon Horne, the airport's newly redeveloped and enlarged
arrivals concourse brings a new welcome to Wales for passengers
arriving via the airport.
Today's announcement was warmly welcomed by Jonathan Jones who
said: "As a key gateway to Wales, Cardiff International Airport
plays a vital role in welcoming overseas visitors to Wales and
shapes the first impressions that visitors to Wales have of our
country, which is why the opening of the new arrivals lounge today
is such a welcomed development. Currently, 7% of visitors to Wales
come from overseas and the potential for growth in this market is
huge. We look forward to a continued successful relationship with
Cardiff International Airport in welcoming overseas visitors to
Wales."
Cardiff International Airport's Managing Director Jon Horne
explained, "The real Catherine Zeta, Sean Connery and Jack
Nicholson were unable to attend today's ceremony, but their
look-a-likes could!
"Their participation in today's opening helped to highlight that
the airport has moved away from its old image of simply being a
place from which Wales goes abroad on holiday. Today, the airport
maintains this role, but increasingly it plays a role as gateway
for people to enter Wales. Links via Amsterdam mean that Wales is
within easy reach of many countries across the World. In this
context, the real Jack Nicholson could simply fly into Cardiff from
the US. Catherine Zeta Jones' presence demonstrates that this works
equally well for Welsh people living abroad to get home.
"Coming closer to home, services to other parts of the UK have
increased the ease with which people can visit Wales. A prime
example being the links to Sean Connery's homeland of Scotland,
where services to Edinburgh carry an average of 13,000 passengers
per month and where 40% of those journeys originate in
Scotland.
"I am sure that our passengers and those people meeting them will
agree with me when I say that the transformation to the arrivals
concourse has brought a significant improvement. The area is far
more open, has plenty of natural daylight and is attractive to the
eye which is important because first impressions matter.
"The arrivals concourse has been completely transformed at a cost
of over £300,000 and now also includes a Tourist Information Centre
provided by Cardiff Initiative and Capital Region Tourism, a
seating area as well and we aim to introduce a Café Bar in the near
future. This new arrivals area also features a mural of Cardiff Bay
painted by Cardiff born artist John Allinson.
"The airport is a gateway to Wales and with some many major events
from the FA Cup Final to the Ryder Cup taking centre stage, an
increasing amount of travellers will be using the airport and will
be warmly welcomed when they arrive.
"The rail-link planned to open in June 05 and the Welsh Assembly
Government's recent announcement of the plans to improve road
access to the airport, will assist in making Cardiff International
Airport more attractive to both European and International Airlines
culminating in the development of new routes and services."
Zoom Airline's first low-cost trans-Atlantic scheduled flight to
Toronto from May to October 2005 has been in great demand since its
launch in November. The service has demonstrated that demand is
high for a trans-Atlantic service in Wales and the West of
England.
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