Cardiff Airport loses only direct Paris flight

Cardiff Airport has confirmed it will be losing its only direct flight to Paris.

In a statement it said that Eastern Airways was suspending its regular Paris Orly service from the upcoming summer schedule.

The route, launched last April, was Eastern's sole service from the Vale of Glamorgan-based facility.

It will come to an end on Saturday, 30 March.

However, the airline will continue to use the airport and fly regularly from Cardiff for charter flights, "as and when required".

The news also means that passengers wishing to travel to Paris will now have to so do by flying via Amsterdam.

In January 2023 budget airline Wizz Air also revealed it was ending all its flights in and out of Wales, citing the economic climate as the reason for the decision.

The firm had already suspended its winter 2002 flights from Cardiff over running costs.

Last month the Welsh government-owned airport announced it was continuing to make a loss following Covid.

In struggling to attract pre-pandemic levels of business it lost £4.5m in the year leading to March 2023.

Ministers are currently supporting Cardiff Airport through a grant worth £42.6m over four years.

Over time it has received millions in government loans and in 2021 Labour wrote off £42.6m it had given the airport, leaving it to repay £26.3m by 2045.

A Cardiff Airport spokesperson added: "Our team are actively speaking to airlines to provide direct flights between Cardiff and Paris.

"We know our customers living in Wales are keen for more choice and great prices."