Cardiff Airport

About Cardiff Airport

Cardiff Airport (in Welsh, Maes Awyr Caerdydd) is the international airport for south Wales and describes itself as Wales' national airport. It lies beside the village of Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan, about 13 miles west of Cardiff city centre and a short distance inland from the Bristol Channel coast. Its IATA code is CWL and its ICAO code is EGFF.

The airport has one passenger terminal and a single asphalt runway, 12/30, which is 2,354 metres long. That is long enough for the transatlantic services currently flown from Cardiff. According to UK Civil Aviation Authority figures, 958,011 terminal passengers used the airport in 2025, around 9.5 per cent more than the 874,714 recorded in 2024.

Cardiff International Airport Ltd runs the airport on behalf of the Welsh Government. The government bought it in March 2013 for about £52 million and holds the shares through a holding company, WGC Holdco Limited. The official website is published in both English and Welsh.

How to get to Cardiff Airport

By train

The nearest station is Rhoose Cardiff International Airport, served by Transport for Wales trains to and from Cardiff and Bridgend. The 905 shuttle bus, run by Adventure Travel, connects the station with the terminal. It runs hourly, seven days a week, and is timed to meet the trains.

Transport for Wales sells an integrated ticket covering both the train to Rhoose and the 905 shuttle: search for "Cardiff Airport via Rhoose" in the TfW app. Passengers starting from any other National Rail station can buy a through ticket that includes the shuttle by asking for "Cardiff Air Bus".

By bus and coach

Two bus services stop at a dedicated stop outside the main departures hall. As well as the 905 shuttle from Rhoose station, First Cymru runs the 304 hourly through the day. It links Cardiff city centre with the airport via Cardiff Bay and Barry and continues to Llantwit Major. In Cardiff the 304 leaves from Customhouse Street (stop JL), close to Cardiff Central station.

Long-distance coaches from National Express, Megabus and Flixbus serve Cardiff city centre rather than the airport, so coach passengers need to change to the 304 bus or the train.

By road

If you are looking up how to get to Cardiff Airport by car, use the postcode CF62 3BD in a sat nav. From the M4, leave at junction 33 and follow the signs for the airport along the A4232, A4050 and A4226. There is parking on site, in Car Park 1, Car Park 2 and Express Park, with a Premium Parking option and a drop-off and pick-up area. All of these are reached from the eastern approach road (Port Road), and parking can be booked in advance online.

Private transfers are available from FlightLink Wales, and the airport also lists car hire and cycle route information on its website.

Terminal and facilities

Facilities in the single terminal include:

• The 51° Executive Lounge, which can be booked in advance
• A World Duty Free shop
• Food and drink outlets, including Y Castell and Tap & Brew
• Currency exchange and cash services
• A special assistance service for passengers with reduced mobility or hidden disabilities, run from a dedicated PRM desk
• Lost property handled by the airport, with lost or delayed baggage dealt with by Swissport

The Cardiff Airport address for post and navigation is Cardiff Airport, Vale of Glamorgan, CF62 3BD. For general enquiries, the airport's contact number is 01446 711111. Questions about bookings, check-in or baggage allowances should go to the airline.

Airlines and destinations

The airport's published flight schedule for 2026 to 2027 lists six airlines. TUI has the largest programme, flying to more than 25 destinations, mostly Mediterranean and Canary Islands holiday resorts. Ryanair flies to Alicante, Dublin, Faro, Malaga and Tenerife South. Vueling serves Alicante and Malaga.

For onward connections, KLM flies to Amsterdam, which links to a wide network of destinations worldwide. Aer Lingus flies to Belfast. WestJet has a direct service to Toronto, the airport's transatlantic link to Canada. Routes and frequencies vary by season, so check with the airline before booking.

History

The airfield at Rhoose began as RAF Rhoose, a wartime satellite aerodrome and training base. Civil flights moved there from Cardiff's earlier municipal airport at Pengam Moors in 1954. In 1965 Glamorgan County Council took over the airport, renaming it Glamorgan (Rhoose) Airport. It later became Cardiff-Wales Airport and then Cardiff International Airport.

The airport was in public ownership until 1995, when TBI bought it. The Spanish infrastructure group Abertis owned it from 2005. In March 2013 the Welsh Government announced that it had bought the airport for around £52 million. Since then it has been run at arm's length by Cardiff International Airport Ltd.