Qatar Airways Eyes Return to Cardiff Airport: Discussions Underway for New Route

After submitting a slot request to the UK’s Airport Coordination Ltd, Qatar Airways’ return to Cardiff Airport (CWL) is now appearing more and more possible. Discussions between the two parties have been underway over the past few months.

Beginning on 18th December 2023, the carrier has sought four weekly slots at the airport. If permitted, the service between Cardiff Airport and Qatar Airways’ hub at Hamad International Airport (DOH) would run on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Boeing 787 is anticipated to operate the flights.

Cardiff Airport and the surrounding area might benefit from Qatar Airways’ return. Alun Cairns, a Vale of Glamorgan MP, described the route as a “vital” connection to the Middle East and emphasised its significance for the airport last month.

“The pandemic clearly had an impact on the airline industry, but I am hopeful that with the return of Qatar Airways to Cardiff will provide a big boost to the airport that has suffered in recent times.”

Cardiff was served by Qatar Airways for the first time in May 2018, but the airline discontinued the route at the beginning of the epidemic. The route was the first long-haul service offered by the airport since the closure of the Canadian low-cost carrier Zoom Airlines at the time of its introduction.

Customers can now fly with KLM via its hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) if they want to go to long-haul locations from Cardiff. The proposed Qatar Airways route to Doha will enable numerous new, nonstop connections throughout the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and beyond.

The sixth UK destination for Qatar Airways
Cardiff would be the sixth location for Qatar Airways in the UK if the airline’s proposed route were to be implemented. Qatar Airways presently flies to the following UK airports after starting daily flights to Birmingham earlier this month:

6 times daily at London Heathrow (LHR)
Manchester (MAN) – 1-2 times every day
2x daily from London Gatwick (LGW)
Edinburgh (EDI) – twice per day
Birmingham (BHX) – once every day

For lengthy, narrow routes like Doha to Cardiff, the Boeing 787 is the ideal aircraft. According to the most recent information from ch-aviation, Qatar Airways now has 41 787s in its fleet. There are 30 787-8s and 11 787-9s in total, each carrying 254 or 311 passengers.

The airline has not yet made any official announcements about the service, and flights are not yet available for purchase on Qatar Airways’ website. According to sources close to the Welsh Government, the airline is reportedly once more looking for financial support to make the service a reality, according to UK Aviation News. Qatar Airways has been contacted by Simple Flying for comment.