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Air Southwest launches new Cardiff schedule to Manchester and Newquay
11 April 2006
Air Southwest, one of the UK's fastest growing low fares regional airlines, has today (April 10) launched new flights from Cardiff International Airport to Manchester and Newquay.
The twice daily services are timed to suit business and leisure travellers and fares start from just £19 one-way including all taxes and airport charges.
Malcolm Naylor, chief executive of Air Southwest, said: "We're bringing our highly successful formula of city-to-city services at times and prices that suit both business and leisure travellers to Cardiff for the first time, and we know these routes will be popular.
"Newquay is a fantastic destination with some of the best bathing and surfing beaches in the country and is now only 35 minutes away. Customers can reach Manchester under an hour minutes which is ideal for business, leisure or catching hundreds of onward flights worldwide."
Cardiff International Airport Managing Director Jon Horne said: "Air Southwest has chosen to fly routes that are important to the Welsh economy. We know they will be reliable and professional in their approach. That's a winning formula."
The new routes have also been warmly welcomed by Welsh tourism and business leaders who enjoyed a VIP day trip from Cardiff to Cornwall last week (April 6) to mark the launch of the new routes.
Dermot Keegan, chair of the Cardiff Hoteliers Association, said: "These new routes open up the South West and North West markets for leisure and business travel to Cardiff and will be warmly welcomed by all our members."
Brian Morgan, director of Cardiff Business School, said: "Welsh businesses need fast and cost-effective air links to other parts of the UK and Air Southwest's new services will add significantly to the growing choice available to business travellers from Cardiff International Airport."
Hywel Evans, president of the West Wales Chamber of Commerce, said: "Air Southwest's new routes will save hours on the same journey by rail or road and I'm confident they will be well used by the West Wales business community."
One of the first passengers on board Air Southwest's first flight to Manchester was David Jones, the managing director of JODA Medical, a firm that supplies medical equipment across the UK
Mr Jones, who is travelling to Manchester for a business meeting, said: "I'm delighted that Air Southwest has introduced this new service. The same trip recently took me over five hours by train and with a flight time of less than an hour there will be a huge time saving, which is obviously important in business. I am sure that the new route will help develop business links between the two cities and attract visitors."
Frances Brown, 21, who is currently studying Lighting Technology at the University of Glamorgan, was one of the first people carried by Air Southwest on today's new Cardiff to Newquay service.
Ms Brown, who is visiting her family in Cornwall, said: "Cornwall can seem like a long way to go by car or train, so I'm very pleased that Air Southwest has brought in this new service. It makes Cornwall and my family feel so much closer."
Air Southwest was launched in October 2003 and is part of the Stock Market listed Sutton Harbour Holdings group.
Flights from Cardiff to Newquay and Manchester can be booked by
visiting www.airsouthwest.com or by calling 0870 241
8202.
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