PLAID Cymru councillor Ian Johnson spoke up for Cardiff Airport in a cross-party forum on aviation, held at the Senedd last week, warning that UK airports policy should not ignore "regional" airports such as Cardiff.
Councillor Johnson, Vale of Glamorgan candidate in the coming General Election, said that any attempts to build an extra runway in the south-east of England shouldn’t come at the cost of the 2,000 jobs that depend on Cardiff Airport.
The event was organised by the Let Britain Fly campaign as part of the general election, to highlight the importance of passenger and freight traffic to business.
Cllr Johnson said: "At this cross-party debate on aviation and airports, I highlighted the 2,000 jobs in south Wales that are directly reliant on the success of Cardiff Airport or its supply chain, and warned that any attempt to increase capacity in the south-east of England must not undermine these jobs here in Wales.
“Many people from Wales go to London or other English airports to make their flights when they could be using their local airport here in the Vale.
"It is important that Cardiff Airport gets the right selection of routes, fitting tourists and airlines, such as sufficient flights to take sports supporters to away matches in the Six Nations or European qualifiers.
“It is also important that we think of the airport as a crucial part of our tourist plans to bring people here to Wales, so that they come here and spend their money on our hotels, bars and restaurants, and at our events.
"An airport is to bring people here, not just for us to go on holiday elsewhere."
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