Ryanair refused to stop Cardiff flights 'unless airport shut'

Ryanair said the Welsh Government would have to shut Cardiff Airport if it wanted to stop its international flights at the start of July.

The Welsh Government called on the airline to cancel flights to Spain and Portugal on 3 July because the "stay local" travel law was still in place.

But the company said the flights would go ahead unless ministers banned them.

Passengers flew to Malaga and Faro with Ryanair on 3 July despite Welsh Government advice.

Travel restrictions in Wales asking people to stay within five miles of home as a rule of thumb came to an end on 6 July.

Following a freedom of information request for all correspondence between the Welsh Government and both Ryanair and Cardiff Airport, the Welsh Government released two emailed letters.

Both were sent on 30 June, three days before the flights were scheduled to depart.

In his letter to Ryanair, Economy Minister Ken Skates said: "Given that the departure of your flights on Friday pose a risk of encouraging people to breach the 'stay local' regulations I do not think that this flights should be going ahead.

"I would be grateful if you could consider cancelling your flying operations until Monday 6 July."

In his response sent on the same day, Ryanair chief executive Eddie Wilson said: "Our flights from Malaga and Faro to Cardiff on Fri 3 July will operate, unless the Welsh Government closes Cardiff Airport to international flights.

"There are a considerable number of Welsh citizens who are already booked to travel home from Malaga and Faro, as well as a small number of Spanish and Portuguese citizens who are travelling on the outbound flights.

"As we have a significant number of bookings on these flights, we cannot cancel them with less than 14 days notice without suffering an undue penalty of compensation claims, so unless the Welsh Government wishes to ban these flights, rest assured that these flights will operate in full compliance with all Covid-19 health measures."

The Welsh Government has owned Cardiff Airport since 2013.

Speaking at the time of the flights, Welsh Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies accused Welsh Government ministers of "blaming Ryanair and the management at Cardiff Airport after the embarrassment of being caught out".

"You bought the airport, fund it, you even run the country and could stop this if you really wanted to," he said.