Barcelona now just a couple of hours away

Mar 14 2008 by Ben Glaze, South Wales Echo

FLYERS from South Wales will soon be sampling the delights of the Nou Camp stadium, Las Ramblas and Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia.

Budget airline bmibaby yesterday announced a twice-weekly service from Cardiff International Airport to Barcelona, starting on May 24. The first tickets went on sale today.

And its low-fare rival Flybe could unveil flights from Cardiff to Dusseldorf, Brussels and Frankfurt later this year.

Announcing the Spanish route, bmibaby managing director Crawford Rix, said: “Our flights to Barcelona will provide a direct link to a fantastic destination for both leisure and business travellers.

“Plus it will help attract important inward investment and improve connectivity to Wales.

“The new route strengthens our position as the number one airline at Cardiff International Airport, flying more passengers than any other low cost airline.

“We are also proud to be the most punctual low cost carrier from the region. bmibaby will continue to work closely with Cardiff Airport to provide even more attractive destinations from Wales and add to the existing 14 great places that we already fly to. Plus we are committed to offering low fares and a great service.”

The flights will initially run on Tuesday and Saturday, with a Wednesday service starting on June 18.

Cardiff International’s managing director Patrick Duffy said they would be popular with businessmen and tourists.

He said: “bmibaby is clearly committed to further growth of its Cardiff network which is vital to the Welsh economy.

“We are sure that Barcelona will be a firm favourite with both business and leisure travellers from Wales and the West.”

Frequent flyer Paul Thomas, 26, of Heath, Cardiff, visited Barcelona last summer.

He said today: “I went from Bristol so it’s good news we can go from Cardiff in future, it’s much more convenient. Barcelona is a great city, and it’s wonderful Cardiff International is creating services to major European cities.”

It is not the first time an airline has launched a route from the Welsh capital to Spain’s second largest city.

In 2006, Thomsonfly announced flights to Barcelona for just £20, with the service supported by £500,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government. The flights launched last May but were later dropped.

Meanwhile Flybe is studying feasibility of flying passengers to more destinations from Cardiff, including Frankfurt, one of the world’s largest airports with global connections.

ben.glaze@mediawales.co.uk