Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Qatar Airways is returning to Cardiff in December, it seems

Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission.  See here for all partner links.

We ran an article last month quoting a BBC report which said that Qatar Airways was due to recommence flying from Cardiff Airport by the end of the year.

The airline flew to Cardiff before the pandemic but services have not yet resumed.

The BBC quoted the CEO of Cardiff Airport, Spencer Birns, as confirming that discussions were ongoing to agree a date for services to resume.

Qatar Airways to resume flights to Cardiff

I raised this with Qatar Airways two weeks ago when I was in Birmingham for the relaunch of that route but they did not have (or were not willing to reveal) a firm date.

According to @SeanM1997 on Twitter, Qatar Airways has filed for slots for four weekly flights from Cardiff to Doha starting on 18th December 2023.

Services would operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, with a 14.15 departure from Cardiff.

Four flights per week would be a drop on the daily flight operated before the pandemic, but is perhaps more realistic given that it needs to fill a Boeing 787.

Pre pandemic, the Welsh Government was paying Qatar Airways £500,000 per year in ‘marketing support’ to secure the route. It isn’t clear if these payments will resume.

The return of the airline would be a huge boost for Cardiff Airport which has lost most of its scheduled services since the pandemic. Most recently, Wizz Air closed its Cardiff base in January 2023 – despite only opening it in April 2022.

Today (21st July) there are only 17 flights scheduled to depart from Cardiff Airport. This comprises:

  • 3 x KLM to Amsterdam
  • 8 x Tui flights on holiday routes
  • 1 x Vueling to Alicante
  • 2 x Ryanair to Dublin and Faro
  • 1 x Aer Lingus to Belfast
  • 1 x Loganair to Edinburgh
  • 1 x Eastern Airways to Paris Orly

The return of Qatar Airways cannot happen soon enough.

Comments (33)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • RJWillz says:

    Ryanair to Dubai… now that would be a route to avoid surely?

    • Toilet Paper Man says:

      Was definitely an autocorrect from Dublin!

    • Steve says:

      Wizzair fly to Dubai via a few eastern destinations, surely an oxymoron if ever there was for taking a cheap flight to dubai

    • No longer Entitled says:

      HfP is obsessed with Dubai.

      • Mouse says:

        Never seen the attraction. Looks like an utterly ghastly place.

        • Paul says:

          Yep rather unpleasant, but it always was. Even in late 80’s early 90’s, I disliked liked it. I spent time in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Oman, Dubai and Oman was several leagues ahead of DXB. Was back briefly earlier this year and it is just incredibly vulgar.

          If you like and can afford vulgar bling, and have no taste, then you’ll love DXB. Soulless and money obsessed!

    • Nate1309 says:

      DUB = Dublin, DBX = Dubai.

      • Stuart says:

        DXB = Dubai!

      • Bagoly says:

        Rob always says he doesn’t like using airport codes!

        • lumma says:

          I don’t mind airport codes when they’re well known (LHR, CDG, JFK, etc) it’s when people use obscure ones and expect everyone to know where they’re talking about.

          • Richie says:

            If HfPers go to obscure airports, they’re the ones to take note of for research and future planning.

  • Travelling Folks says:

    Now Cardiff to Dubai and Doha, that would be good. Going to Dubai with RA, help.
    Sanity tells me this should be Dublin,
    I am sure someone was checking we read these things.

  • Worzel says:

    Just wondering whether the London Readership will be tempted to race down the M4, and beyond………..?

    • PeteM says:

      No.

    • qrfan says:

      I’ll fly from anywhere in Western Europe for the right price, so sure. Can’t imagine the glory days of Qatar pricing coming to Wales though…

      • Paul says:

        There is no competition on price from the UK on any airline associated with British Airways or its anti competitive alliance partners. I think they’d rather fly empty.

  • jj says:

    CWL is a bleak warning to those who believe nationalisation is the answer to the UK’s infrastructure woes.

    • Jay says:

      You must be one of them who thinks Maggie did a great job with our country right?

      • Pb says:

        Compared to what the so called Welsh govt have done to Wales in the last 23 years she was a genius .

    • Paul says:

      Because our sewage filled rivers and seas are an example of how successful privatisation was for some areas of public life.

      CWL when state owned did all the work to expand the airport and ensure it could handle 747s. As a direct result it attracted BA maintenance in the 90’s. It expanded and became attractive to private investors who then employed the usual brand numpties who changed its name and ran it into the ground. It was rescued by the Welsh Gov in 2013 and has been run as a Ltd co since.

      They can’t have been doing to bad a job as pre pandemic QR had a daily flight.

      Indeed if the UK were not economically focused on a corner of England and had levelled up many years ago then just perhaps places like CWL EDI GLA ABZ MAN BHX would be major hubs such as they have in Germany in FRA MUC BER DUS etc.

      And frankly users of LHR might sometimes wish it was run more for the benefit of the passengers and the UK rather than for shareholders who use it a cash cow. A cash cow that today was named as the worst airport in the UK for handling passengers with additional needs.

      • Pb says:

        Given that there had been no investment by the state owned Water companies as govts various used the income elsewhere you could easily argue that at least they now have to invest yearly which is an improvement . The problem is the increased demand from population growth and the change in excess events , the mistake with hindsight was not placing some formula for debt restriction ,
        Privatisation was favoured , as you well know , because of the Unions continuous desire to strike , resulting in the export of jobs and manufacturing, failed in Wales from Nine o’clock news being most apt .

  • Pb says:

    If the Welsh govt are not paying it would be a non starter I would suggest .

  • Matarredonda says:

    Got when more flights than London Southend which I used earlier this week.
    Pleasant stay at the Holiday Inn and a 5 minute walk ro the terminal.p

  • Pogonation says:

    Wish they would come to NCL instead. Crappy EK needs some decent competition here!

  • Wallaj4 says:

    Looking forward to Qatar return to Cardiff

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

The UK's biggest frequent flyer website uses cookies, which you can block via your browser settings. Continuing implies your consent to this policy. Our privacy policy is here.