Flying Home for Christmas, I can’t wait to see those… Passport queues.
Cardiff Airport is preparing to welcome over 37,000 passengers over the Christmas period*. The busiest day of travel will be Saturday 21st December 2019, with flights departing to key hubs like Hamad International in Doha with Qatar Airways and Amsterdam Schiphol with KLM plus ski flights to Chambéry and Geneva with Flybe.
Cardiff Airport is open for business over the Christmas period, with some 500 flights expected, as people fly home to visit friends and family or jet off to warmer weather and far-flung destinations.
The top five most popular destinations this festive season are:
- Amsterdam and onwards to the world with KLM
- Dublin with Flybe
- Alicante with Vueling and TUI
- Doha and onwards to the world with Qatar Airways
- Malta with Ryanair
A programme of seasonal treats are underway in and around the terminal, as part of the team’s special commitment this year to making it a Christmas to remember for our staff and customers.
To bring a splash of Christmas colour the Cardiff Airport team and even some of our airlines have been donning their best and worst festive jumpers to raise money for Save the Children.
We’ve welcomed many fabulous choirs, including the Better Together Choir, based at EE Merthyr and local schools who’ve been busy filling the terminal with upbeat Christmas songs, welcoming customers who are checking in and heading off in search of winter sun.
We also welcomed a class of pupils from Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant in Llantwit to celebrate their classmate Matilda Godsell, whose beautiful design won this year’s Christmas card design competition.
Tilly, 9, and her classmates visited the Airport for an educational visit where they met our firefighters, toured the fire station and saw our fire appliances in action before heading back to the terminal for a check-in experience with boarding cards and passports. There was even a very special guest!
Throughout the festive season Family and friends waiting in Arrivals are being given special message boards to welcome their loved ones just like in the festive favourite film Love Actually.
Deb Bowen Rees, CEO of Cardiff Airport, said:“We’re wrapping up what’s been another fantastic year for Wales’ national airport and this year we’ve been celebrating Christmas in style.
“There’s been so much going on in the terminal to give our customers a special festive welcome; choirs singing around the tree, Christmas jumper days, message boards for loved ones to welcome arriving passengers and even a visit from the man himself!
“Passengers travelling to Cardiff Airport during the Christmas Holidays should allow plenty of time to travel, and pay particular attention to public transport services as there may be different timetables in operation. Customers are also reminded to make sure their luggage, including liquids, are packed appropriately and not travel with wrapped presents in hand luggage as they may need to be opened during the security process.”
View our Christmas video here: ‘Twas the weeks before Christmas at CWL…’
*Christmas getaway period 19 Dec 2019 – 05 Jan 2020.
