CARDIFF Airport have been criticised for awarding their taxi concession "behind closed doors" without Vale taxi firms being able to bid for the opportunity.

Vale MP Alun Cairns has questioned the management of Rhoose-based Cardiff Airport over the decision after being contacted by taxi firms outraged that they were not offered the chance to bid for the concession themselves.

The dispute began after airport management awarded Cardiff taxi firm Flight Link Wales the right to operate from the airport and provide services to customers who want to book a taxi on arrival.

Cardiff Airport management have hit back at Mr Cairns, saying that his involvement has confused customers who are now under the misapprehension that they cannot book their own taxis to and from the airport. They also said they were concerned by the implication that they had "not done everything by the book".

Sully taxi firm A2B are one of the businesses who are angry at being denied the chance to become the airport's official taxi firm.

Mike Moore of A2B cars said: “We have spent 15 years supporting the airport, we should have been given the opportunity to bid for the taxi concession.

“We don’t know why this firm (Flight Link Wales) have been picked. They might be right for it, but nobody really knows how suitable they are because there wasn’t a transparent bidding process.

“Every firm should have had an equal opportunity to bid for the concession. The airport management claim that they spoke to local firms before making the decision but no-one spoke to us at A2B.”

Alun Cairns wrote to the Welsh Government to ask why the concession was awarded "behind closed doors" to a firm from outside of the Vale.

Mr Cairns said he was disappointed by the response which he says took a "very defensive tone" while failing to explain "why they made the decision to award the concession without a proper bidding process".

He said: "The airport management may have acted within the letter of the law, but they have not acted in the spirit of transparency and fairness that many expect from a taxpayer-owned organisation.

“We all want the airport to succeed and continue to boost the Vale’s economy. What I don’t want to see is the airport denying local companies a fair opportunity to bid for concessions and contracts."

In a response to Mr Cairns, managing director of Cardiff Airport Debra Barber clarified that there is no change to taxi arrangements, other than the new concession being awarded to Flight Link Wales. She clarified that customers are not obliged to use Flight Link Wales and can continue to book from the company of their choice.

She also clarified that no money had changed hands and everything had "been done by the book". She went on and asked Mr Cairns to "clarify the situation with his constituents".

She said: "Overall we believe the situation at Cardiff Airport has been misrepresented."