The Anonymous Widower

First Qatar Airways Flight From Doha Lands In Cardiff

The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

The story is also reported in the Business section of The Times under a title of Direction Of Travel Brings Qatar Airways To Cardiff Airport.

This is the first paragraph from the latter article.

Trade winds from the Middle East have brought a whiff of what a successful Brexit might look like: a 300-seat, state-of-the-art Qatar Airways jetliner carrying a full business-class cabin and several tonnes of freight that has travelled from the 35C of Persian Gulf heat to 10C of Welsh drizzle.

To some it might seem to be a surprising new route.

As a former private pilot, who knew many of the UK’s airports pretty well, Cardiff Airport has many advantages.

• It has a long runway.
• It is not very busy.
• Air traffic control and other services are top class.
• It has a terminal capable of handling a large number of planes.
• British Airways have a large maintenance centre at the Airport.
• Ground transport to Cardiff includes buses and a railway station at Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station.

It could be an airport, that just needs more airlines and passengers to take advantage of its facilities.

The two articles suggest various reasons, why Qatar are going to run a service, that will be daily by July.

• It gives Cardiff a direct link to the world’s fastest growing hub airport at Doha.
• Qatar have lots of investments all over the UK.
• Doha gives direct access flights to to Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand, to give six examples.
• Cardiff Airport wants to develop as a warehousing hub and Qatar Airways is big in freight.
• The export market for Welsh food and other perishables could be transformed.
• The Times reminds us there are nine million sheep in Wales.

The Times also has this memorable phrase.

Quite why the flights have been launched has as much to do with Welsh lamb as it does with not being Bristol.

But I think there are other reasons.

New Routes For Qatar Airways To North America

Look at Qatar Airways routes to North America.

• They serve mostly Eastern seaboard destinations from Doha.
• Chicago and Los Angeles are also served from Doha, but they are long flights of over sixteen hours.
• San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver are not served.

So would Cardiff with its top-class facilities make an excellent hub for Qatar Airways?

Would a pos-Brexit UK be free to allow Qatar Airways to run services from Cardiff to selected destinations in North America?

Remember, it’s also about freight!

Improved Rail Access

This Google Map shows the Airport.

Note.

1. Rhoose Cardiff International station is South of the Airport at the bottom of the map.
2. The main terminal is on the North side of the Airport.
3. The Vale of Glamorgan Line through the station and then skirts past the Eastern end of the runway on its way to Cardiff.
4. The Vale of Glamorgan Line is double-track with sections of single-track.
5. The Vale of Glamorgan Line was scheduled to be electrified.

It would appear that providing better passenger and freight access would not be the most challenging of problems, if they were to become needed in the future.

Improved Passenger Services

The current service at Rhoose Cardiff International station is as follows.

• An hourly service to Bridgend.
• An hourly service to Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Aberdare.
• On Sundays the service is only two-hourly.

The service needs to be improved.

It would be possible to run a service from Cardiff to Swansea along the Vale of Glamorgan Line.

• The service would call at Rhoose Cardiff International station.
• The service could be run by trains designed for an airport service.
• The service would connect to all the Cardiff Valley Lines at Cardiff Central station.
• The service could be extended at the Western end to Llanelli and Fishguard.
• The service could be extended at the Eastern end to Newport, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads.

If bi-mode or diesel trains were to be used no new infrastructure would be needed.

Two trains per hour are needed and may be possible, but it might be necessary to find a solution to the two single-trac sections of line.

Freight Services

After reading, the two articles, I’m convinced that both Cardiff Airport and Qatar Airways are backing the use of the airport as a freight hub.

But all freight would have to leave the airport by truck, as there is no rail connection.

Because of the closeness of the Vale of Glamorgan Line to the airport, it would be possible to create a high-quality cargo-handling facility, with rail access.

In The Go-Anywhere Express Parcel And Pallet Carrier (HSPT), I proposed using four-car Class 321 trains as parcel and pallet carriers.

• These could serve anywhere in the UK from Cardiff Airport.
• If from the Airport to Cardiff were to be electrified, electric freight could go fast to London and the South East.
• Cardiff could be used as an alternative freight hub,, for an over-crowded Heathrow.

I shall be interested to see how Cardiff Airport develops a cargo terminal..

Conclusion

Qatar Airways may have more money than Croesus, but they seem to be spending it wisely, in developing a route to Cardiff.

 

 

 

 

May 3, 2018 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Cardiff Airport, Cardiff Valley Lines, Flying, Freight, Qatar, Qatar Airways