Swansea Airport's operating licence has been suspended following an unannounced inspection by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This marks the third suspension since 2019.
Inspection findings and temporary suspension
The airport at Fairwood Common in the Gower said the CAA inspection had identified "a small number of areas for improvement" and that its aerodrome licence had been temporarily suspended while the issues are addressed.
In a statement, Swansea Airport said its board and volunteers were working with the CAA to resolve the issues and have the licence reinstated as quickly as possible.
Impact on flying activity
The airport stressed that the suspension does not bring all activity at the site to a halt. According to the airport, only aircraft requiring a licensed aerodrome or Category 1 rescue and firefighting cover are affected, while the "vast majority" of flying activity can continue.
Private flying, flight training and parachuting are among activities that can continue without an aerodrome licence under certain conditions.
Statement from Swansea Airport
A Swansea Airport spokesperson announced the licence suspension in a statement. The statement reads: "Following a routine unannounced inspection by the CAA, a small number of areas for improvement were identified at the airport. As a result, our aerodrome licence has been temporarily suspended while we work through these actions with the CAA.
"Importantly, this only affects aircraft that require a licensed aerodrome or CAT 1 RFFS - the vast majority of flying activity is unaffected and continues as normal.
"As a volunteer-run organisation, our board and volunteers are working hard to address these actions so the licence can be reinstated as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience and continued support in the meantime."
Background and future plans
Swansea Airport is located about 15 minutes from Swansea city centre. It is an active general-aviation airfield, rather than an airport with regular scheduled airline flights.
The airport has been trying to establish a long-term future under the Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance - a volunteer group that took over the running of the site in 2024. Swansea Council owns the airport and had backed plans to give the alliance a longer lease after years of uncertainty surrounding the site.
The CAA has not publicly detailed the specific findings behind the latest suspension. Swansea Airport said it had only recently received the CAA's communication and that further details would be released once its directors had reviewed it.
The licence was suspended in 2019 following safety concerns identified during an unannounced CAA audit. It was eventually reinstated in 2021. In February 2023 the CAA suspended the licence again, citing what it described at the time as a "systemic failure of safety management".
