Budget carrier Vueling has pulled all of its winter flights from Cardiff Airport, removing Alicante and Malaga from its schedule just four months after tickets were first put on sale. The Spanish low-cost airline, which first launched flights from the Welsh capital in 2012, had planned a three-weekly service to Alicante alongside a short run of flights to Malaga over the Christmas and New Year period.
Final departure dates confirmed
According to Vueling's website, its last flight from Cardiff to Malaga will take off on October 18, with the final Alicante service departing on October 24. Neither the airline nor Cardiff Airport has confirmed whether the routes will return for the summer season.
Confirming the decision, a spokesperson for Vueling said: "Vueling has no plans to operate flights to and from Cardiff for the winter season. Customers affected should contact our customer services team or their booking agent should they have any queries. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."
Passengers and airport respond
Disappointed passengers took to social media after discovering their getaway plans were grounded. One traveller said: "They've cancelled the December flights. You should have received an email around six weeks ago - that's when they informed me and then refunded me." Another added: "We usually fly with them in February and the flights are pretty full, so I am surprised."
Cardiff Airport bosses admitted they were "disappointed" by Vueling's decision, but pointed out that holidaymakers can still head to Spain with rival airlines. A spokesperson for Cardiff Airport said: "Alicante remains a popular destination from Cardiff, with TUI and Ryanair continuing to offer direct flights this winter. We remain focused on working with our airline partners to grow our route network and give customers across Wales greater choice from Cardiff. We would encourage any customers affected by Vueling's decision to contact the airline directly regarding their booking and to explore the alternative travel options available from Cardiff."
