Seamus Gates, director of corporate finance at Broomfield & Alexander, commenting on the Cardiff Airport long-haul flight announcement:
“Attracting such a high profile carrier to operate services from Cardiff is fantastic for the airport and also good news for Wales as a whole. Cardiff Airport is often considered a poor relation to Bristol Airport, so attracting a service like this will not only mean more visitors, but also sends out an important message from an international trade perspective.
“Creating opportunities for global investors from the Middle East and other connected regions to fly directly into Wales could impact on the volume and values of deals with businesses in these territories, as well as giving Welsh entrepreneurs better access to global markets from their own front door.
“Representatives of the Welsh and UK Governments have rightly welcomed this development but now need to make sure that we maximise the opportunities it presents. This may now throw down the challenge to Welsh Government to address the infrastructure supporting the Airport with better road and rail links. If the route proves successful then this could lead to more carriers creating regional hubs that push air traffic out of London in the future – Cardiff Airport can give Wales a seat at this table, rather relying on links from Bristol.”