The First Minister has refused to commit to a Cardiff-USA direct air link within this Assembly term.
Asked which airport he will shortly be using to fly to America, Carwyn Jones replied ‘Probably Heathrow’.
During First Minister’s Questions the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Assembly, Andrew RT Davies AM, highlighted the viability of a direct link to North America from Cardiff International Airport.
It followed the recent publication of a 2007 economic appraisal of a New York route from Cardiff, released under the Freedom of Information Act. It claimed support costs for the route would be approximately 580 thousand pounds a year and could add one million pounds to the Welsh economy every year.
A British Chambers of Commerce survey also recently found 92 per cent of business leaders thought direct flights important to inward investment decisions.
The chairman of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisers told Scottish Members last week that establishing more direct flights to Scotland is key to securing more exports and inward foreign investment.
Today, the First Minister suggested bringing in routes and paying for them does not ensure sustainability. His own government subsidises the Cardiff-Anglesey air link to the tune of 1.2 million pounds a year.
Speaking outside the chamber, Mr Davies said:
“The First Minister’s confirmation of his long trek to Heathrow to catch a plane next month says it all. There’s a perfectly good airport just down the road from the National Assembly for Wales, yet no-one can use it to get to America.
“A direct route to the USA from Cardiff would benefit not only Welsh businesspeople and tourists alike, it would have huge advantages for our economy. Carwyn Jones seems quite happy to point the finger at an airport he says ‘needs to get its act together’. My question is this – why doesn’t he help?
“The more new routes we get out of Cardiff, the more the Welsh economy benefits as a whole. Why don’t ministers sit down with the airport’s management and help develop a clear strategy for growth?
“The annual government subsidy for the Cardiff to Anglesey route is over a million pounds. According to the 2007 economic appraisal, financial support for a New York route would be substantially less. That’s a discrepancy that doesn’t make sense.
“The evidence is there – we need expansion from Cardiff Airport to boost inward investment.”
“Instead of spending his time travelling to Heathrow, I urge the First Minister to work with Cardiff Airport. It doesn’t need constant criticism, it needs support.”
