About the Area
Cardiff Airport (CWL) is located in the Vale of Glamorgan, near the village of Rhoose. It is the busiest airport in Wales.
Rhoose Point has been dubbed as a ‘Site of Importance for Nature Conservation’. Its scenic lakes, dramatic cliffs, and grassland areas make Rhoose an important location for ecology and biodiversity. The habitat includes lowland calcareous grassland, maritime cliff and slopes, reed beds and ponds, and structurally diverse as well as species-rich mixed shrubs.
About Cardiff Airport
Cardiff Airport has for many years been home to a number of flying clubs and small general aviation operators. The airport has been under the ownership of the Welsh Government since March 2013, and it operates as a commercial business.
This is the only airport in Wales that offers international scheduled flights and also serves scheduled, budget, business, and charter airlines. The airport supports corporate and general aviation as well. Most of Cardiff Airport’s international destinations are to other countries in Europe, including Spain, the Netherlands, and Greece.
The new ePassport gates in the terminal building were introduced in 2018. This was aimed to reduce immigration queues and confront the potential impacts of a no-deal Brexit.
There is one Executive Lounge available in the airport with special assistance facilities. Bookings made through Cardiff Airport guarantee access to the Executive Lounge. Third parties on offers and discount codes will not be accepted.
Cardiff Airport has a no smoking policy inside any terminal building. This includes smoking electronic cigarettes. However, there are designated smoking areas outside the terminal and next to Gate 2 airside in the departure lounge.
The tourist information kiosks are located in the arrivals hall as well as at the baggage reclaim hall. These interactive kiosks have all the information you need if you are visiting Wales such as top accommodations, restaurants, attractions, etc.
The Sunflower Lanyard Scheme allows passengers with a hidden disability to wear a lanyard, a wristband, or a pin badge to discreetly indicate to staff that they require some extra support when navigating through the airport. This service is free of charge.
Three cash machines can be found within the terminal; one in Landside, one in Arrivals, and one in the Departure Lounge.
The baby care rooms can be found on the first floor of the departure and arrivals areas.
Are there car rental facilities?
There are five car hire partners located at Cardiff Airport. Arriving passengers and tourists can find the car rental desks both inside the terminal and outside the arrivals hall.
Popular Destinations
Cardiff Airport served 1.6 million passengers in 2020. These are the most popular routes to and from Cardiff Airport as of 2018:
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Dublin, Ireland
- Alicante, Spain
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Tenerife–South, Spain
- Málaga, Spain
- Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France
- Belfast–City, United Kingdom
- Faro, Portugal
