Business

The past, present and future possibilities for Swansea Airport

Published

1 year ago

August 25, 2024

Richard Youle - Local Democracy Reporter

SWANSEA Airport is turning a page shortly after a bumpy period which looked like it was heading to the courtroom.

Swansea Council, which owns but doesn’t run the airport, was taking steps to end the lease held by the current operator – citing a “range of issues” – when it announced at the beginning of August that the operator had agreed to relinquish it. A group representing users of the 450-acre Gower site is to take it over on a temporary basis.

Although court action was avoided there has been frustration on many sides – and in some cases still is – and a question mark lingers over the future of staff who work there currently.

Equally several people who have spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service have expressed their wish to look ahead and maximise what the Fairwood Common facility has to offer.

There aren’t many airports where pilots can soar above an area of outstanding natural beauty in largely unrestricted airspace surrounded on three sides by a coastline like Gower’s. The majority of aircraft which took part in last month’s Wales National Airshow refuelled there, and on the morning of August 23 six tradesmen were ordering breakfast at the reopened airport cafe.

Thousands of people will have fond memories of flights over the Bristol Channel or learning to fly in gliders as air cadets. Gower councillor Richard Lewis recalled arranging a half-term flight many years ago to Swansea from Taunton, Somerset, where he was at school at the time.

“There was a rail strike, so I organised the flight,” he said. “There was me and eight of my friends from the Swansea area. It was fantastic.” In later years he and a fellow councillor flew from the airport in a Lancaster bomber, and while serving as Lord Mayor of Swansea he and his daughter Francesca were taken up in a pair of gliders. “Fabulous,” he said.

There have been attempts over the years to run commercial passenger services from Swansea Airport – most latterly by Air Wales which flew to London City, Dublin, Jersey and Amsterdam – but demand wasn’t strong enough. The current operator, Swansea Airport Ltd, whose director Roy Thomas owned and subsidised Air Wales, announced plans in January last year to start a passenger service to Exeter but they didn’t come to fruition.

Swansea Council said is predecessor council was gifted the airport site and its land in 1938 and that the airfield was run by the authority until around 35 years ago except during the Second World War. The council said it didn’t have the in-house expertise to run such a facility. “Running an airport is a specialised activity, one that’s not within the core business of a council,” said a spokesman.

According to heritage website Coflein, the airfield was used by the RAF for Hurricane, Beaufighter and Spitfire squadrons from June 1941 onwards, ceasing in this capacity three years later when it become a training base solely. The airfield was targeted by enemy bombers, said the website, with one unexploded 1,000lb device apparently remaining in-situ until 1976 when it was extracted and taken to Whiteford Point, North Gower, for detonation.

After being decommissioned by the RAF the airfield went on to be used by private pilots, flying clubs and occasional fare-paying passenger services run by Cambrian Airways and, for a three-year period up to 2004, Air Wales. Wales Air Ambulance and RAF 636 air cadets glider squadron also had bases there.

The airport and its two runways are home now to two flying schools, a skydiving business and around 20 pilots, plus visitors flying in from elsewhere.

The soon-to-be-installed operator, Swansea Airport Stakeholders’ Alliance, said it wanted to support current users and safely operate the airport seven days a week, talk to potential investors, and offer opportunities to the community. An alliance spokesman said such opportunities could include buildings being available for community use, work experience for people with physical or learning disabilities, an expanded catering offer, and potentially a creche serving Gower.

He said there was no plan for commercial flights, partly because the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence permitting these was suspended and did not transfer with the lease. The current aviation activities can take place without a CAA licence but the alliance stressed it would abide by CAA regulations.

Alliance members have visited small airports which have grown their business such as Sandown, Isle of Wight, and Sleap airfield, Shropshire. “Sandown had around the same number of movements 10 years ago when the current operator took over as we do now at Swansea – it now has almost 12 times as many,” said the alliance spokesman. “There are facilities for the local community. The place is buzzing.”

He added: “Sleap is an enormous success after being rescued. A hundred or more small aircraft go there for an event with folk bands and a barbecue. People are saying to me, ‘Why can’t we do that?’ Well, we can. We have to provide people with a reason for coming.”

The alliance has previously submitted a business plan to the council, and said it would work with the authority’s events team with a view to hosting events. But the spokesman said there would be no change of use of the land – for example house-building on part of it. “It’s legally, politically and practically impossible,” he said.

Asked about the staff currently working there, the spokesman said he sympathised with them but that he couldn’t say for sure what would happen until the alliance took over. He said there would have to be certain key roles filled such as airport manager and head of safety. He added: “We are also in the process of drawing up a revised scale of charges, but we’re not planning substantial rises.”

Phil Thomas, the airport’s current manager, said he was brought in by leaseholder Roy Thomas in March last year following a critical CAA audit which identified a “systemic failure of safety management”. Phil Thomas in turn brought in Peter Beales, operations manager, and with the small team of staff he said they’d successfully addressed all the most serious safety concerns and the majority of the less serious ones. He said the licence suspension was voluntary and that he felt the airport had done what it needed to address the outstanding matters, describing the situation as “immensely frustrating”.

Swansea Airport Ltd said the team had also brought an additional hangar into use, introduced an effective self-service fuelling system, increased the number of visiting aircraft, and made preparations for the reintroduction of grass runways. Phil Thomas said at least £20,000 had been spent on the airport’s fire appliance this year alone. He said the airport was staffed five days a week and that it operated on the other two, although pilots had to sign disclaimers on those days if they wanted to use it.

“This place has had its ups and downs,” he said. “It can be disheartening, but then you have days like the air show when 75% of the aircraft came here for fuelling and parking, and the place changes. I think all our staff are very professional – the rescue and fire-fighting guys are top drawer.”

He added: “We have worked with the alliance towards a safe transition. All we want it is a well-run airport which is operated safely, regardless of whose name is above the door.”
Operations manager Mr Beales said: “We would like to remain in-situ regardless of who’s taking it over, but we are passionate about the airport succeeding.”

Cambrian Flying Club has been based at the airport since 2009, offering flight training, hobby flying and flight experiences for the public. It has three two-seater and one four-seater aircraft. Operations manager Ben Clyde said the training provided was the “first rung in the ladder” towards a commercial pilot licence and that former trainees now flew planes for British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Ryanair, among others.

Mr Clyde said the company was started by his father and that he’d picked up the aviation bug as a boy, travelling to air shows. The 42-year-old took the family firm over around four years ago having worked as a business manager and building inspector, among other things. “We’ve currently got just under 150 students on our books,” he said. “It’s for all ages – we’ve got a 14-year-old up to people in their 90s.”

Mr Clyde said the club was part of the alliance and that he hoped the airport would become busier. Ideally he’d like to provide the next level up in commercial flight training. “I’m sure we can make a go of this,” he said.

Karl Nicholson, flight instructor at microlight outfit Gower Flight Centre, which also operates from the airport, said it had more than 100 learners on its books. “We all want a safe and thriving airport,” he said.

Carl Williams set up Skydive Swansea at the airport 18 years ago, building it up and eventually buying a plane worth more than £1 million. “It was the scariest signature I have ever put on paper,” he said. The company has since been acquired by a business called Go Skydive, with Mr Williams managing the Swansea operation on its behalf. Looking ahead to the alliance takeover, he said security of tenure was key. “Go Skydive are in a very good position going forward,” he said.

For Lisa Winter, co-owner of the airport cafe, the future feels very uncertain. She said she started working with leaseholder Roy Thomas last summer on plans to reopen the cafe, including a kitchen redesign. “We opened in May (2024), were closed for a brief period due to a plumbing problem, and re-opened again in July,” she said. “We have been building things up, and it’s starting to get really busy.”

The not-for-profit alliance said it intended to work towards reinstating the suspended CAA licence and would apply for a long-term tenancy when the council launched a competitive tender process at some point in the future.

Speaking earlier this month, Roy Thomas said he would also bid for a long-term lease when the opportunity arose. He has repeatedly said he has ploughed significant sums of money into the airport since he took it over in the early 2000s. “I took it from dereliction to a stage where it’s got a bright future,” he said. Mr Thomas said he’d never taken a salary, and he reiterated his call for an inquiry into the process which had led to the current turn of events.

Cllr Lewis said he wished the best for the airport. “I think there are opportunities,” he said. “My view is that there could be a small caravan site linked to it.”

Business

Senedd approves £116m transitional relief for business rates

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter

BUSINESSES facing sharp hikes in tax bills after the 2026 revaluation will see increases phased in over two years after the Senedd backed a new transitional relief scheme.

Senedd Members unanimously approved regulations to help businesses which face significant rises in non-domestic rates bills after a revaluation taking effect in April 2026.

The Welsh Government estimates the transitional relief will support 25,000 ratepayers at a cost of £77m in 2026/27 and £39m in 2027/28. The partial relief covers 67% of the increase in the first year and 34% in the second.

Mark Drakeford, Wales’ finance secretary, stressed the £116m scheme comes on top of permanent rate reliefs which are currently worth £250m a year. He said ratepayers for two-thirds of properties will pay no bill at all or receive some level of relief.

The former First Minister told the Senedd: “In providing this transitional relief scheme, we are closely replicating the scheme of relief we provided following the 2023 revaluation – supporting all areas of the tax base in a consistent and straightforward manner.”

The Conservatives’ Sam Rowlands expressed his party’s support for the transitional relief scheme which will help ratepayers facing sharp increases after the 2026 revaluation.

He said: “We are grateful that the Welsh Government has at least brought forward a scheme that will soften the immediate impact for thousands of Welsh businesses.

“We also understand that if these regulations are not approved or supported… this relief scheme will not be in existence. Many businesses across Wales would face steep increases with no protection at all and that is certainly not an outcome we would want.”

But the shadow finance secretary warned businesses up and down Wales are worried about the increase in rates that they are liable to pay.

Advocating scrapping rates for all small businesses in Wales, Mr Rowlands said: “We’ve heard first-hand from many of those in the hospitality and leisure sector, some of whom are facing increases of over 100% in the tax rates they are expected to pay.”

Responding as the Senedd signed off on the scheme on December 16, Prof Drakeford said the Welsh Government had to wait for the UK budget to know if funding was available. As a result of the time constraints, the regulations were not subject to formal consultation.

Prof Drakeford agreed with Mr Rowlands that voting against the regulations would not improve support, only eliminate the transitional relief package before the Senedd.

Earlier in Tuesday’s Senedd proceedings, former Tory group leader Paul Davies warned Welsh businesses have already been hit with some of the highest business rates in the UK.

He said: “The latest business rates revaluation has meant that some businesses are now facing rises of several hundred per cent compared with previous assessments…

“Whilst I appreciate that a transitional relief scheme will help some businesses manage these changes, the reality is that for many businesses it’s not enough and some businesses will be forced into a position where they will have to close.”

Business

Pembrokeshire industrial jobs ‘could be at risk’ as parties clash over investment

Published

3 days ago

December 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

TRADE unions have warned that hundreds of industrial jobs in Pembrokeshire could be at risk without stronger long-term support for Welsh manufacturing, as political parties set out competing approaches ahead of the Senedd elections.

TUC Cymru says its analysis suggests 939 industrial jobs in Pembrokeshire could be vulnerable if investment in clean industrial upgrades were withdrawn, warning that policies proposed by Reform UK, and to a lesser extent the Conservatives, pose the greatest risk to industrial employment.

The warning comes as the union body launched its “Save Welsh Industry – No More Site Closures!” campaign at events in Deeside and Swansea, calling on all political parties to commit to a five-point plan to protect and future-proof Welsh industry.

According to TUC Cymru, jobs at risk locally include 434 in automotive supply chains, 183 in rubber and plastics and 75 in glass manufacturing. The union body says these sectors rely on continued investment to remain competitive and avoid offshoring.

TUC Cymru said its modelling focused on industries most exposed to closure or relocation if industrial modernisation and decarbonisation are not delivered. It argues that without sustained public and private investment, Welsh manufacturing faces further decline.

A GMB member working at Valero in Pembrokeshire said: “It’s clear Nigel Farage has no clear plan. I can see this industry collapsing under his policies. We need support, not division. His way will lead to job losses across the board and the lights will go out.”

The union body stressed that all parties need to strengthen their industrial policies, but claimed Reform UK’s stated opposition to net zero-related investment would place the largest number of jobs at risk across Wales, estimating that almost 40,000 industrial jobs nationally could be affected. Conservative policies were also criticised, though the TUC said the likelihood of job losses under the Conservatives was lower.

Labour has rejected claims that Welsh industry is being neglected, pointing to recent investment announcements made at the Wales Investment Summit, where more than £16bn worth of projects were highlighted as being in the pipeline across Wales.

Ministers said the summit demonstrated growing investor confidence, with projects linked to clean energy, advanced manufacturing, ports, digital infrastructure and battery storage, and thousands of jobs expected as schemes move from planning into delivery.

Labour has argued that public investment is being used to unlock private sector funding, particularly in industrial regions, and says modernising industry is essential to keeping Welsh manufacturing competitive while protecting long-term employment.

At UK level, the party has also highlighted its National Wealth Fund and GB Energy commitments, which it says will support domestic supply chains, reduce long-term energy costs for industry and help secure both existing and future jobs.

Opposition parties and some business groups have questioned whether all announced projects will translate into permanent employment, arguing that greater clarity is needed on timescales and delivery.

Reform UK has argued that scrapping net zero policies would cut public spending and reduce costs for households and businesses, while the Conservatives have pledged to roll back climate-related targets and reduce regulation on industry.

Unions dispute those claims, warning that higher electricity prices and a lack of investment would make Welsh industry less competitive internationally.

TUC Cymru President Tom Hoyles said Welsh industry needed urgent action from all parties to survive and thrive in the 21st century, warning that policies which sought to turn back the clock could put thousands of Welsh jobs at risk.

With industrial areas including Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire also identified as facing significant pressures, the future of Welsh manufacturing is expected to remain a key political issue in the run-up to the Senedd elections.

Business

New digital toolkit aims to future-proof rural Welsh businesses in AI search era

Published

3 days ago

December 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A NEW digital toolkit developed in Ceredigion is being hailed as a potential game-changer for small businesses in rural Wales, as artificial intelligence reshapes how customers discover local services online.

Created by Antur Cymru Enterprise, the SMART Busnes programme is giving Welsh SMEs an early foothold in Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) – a rapidly emerging discipline focused on how businesses appear within AI-generated search responses.

As AI-driven tools increasingly replace traditional search results with instant, conversational answers, SMART Busnes – supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – has launched one of the first practical AEO toolkits available in Wales.

The initiative is being led by Digital Business Advisor Lynne Rees and centres on a new insight framework known as Agentic AEO. The approach is designed to help rural and micro-businesses remain visible online as search engines and AI platforms prioritise structured, easily interpreted information over conventional keyword-based webpages.

Kevin Harrington, Project Manager for SMART Busnes, said the shift represents a fundamental change in how businesses need to think about their online presence.

“AI search is here to stay, and our Agentic AEO insight series isn’t a tweak – it’s a reset,” he said.

“It’s about helping Welsh SMEs show up wherever customers search: on Google, on social media, and increasingly within AI-generated answers. This gives rural businesses access to the kind of digital advantage that large brands often pay thousands of pounds for.”

Traditional search engine optimisation is already being overtaken by AI-led systems such as Google’s Search Generative Experience and tools like ChatGPT, which provide direct responses rather than lists of links.

For small businesses, this presents a growing risk. If online content is not structured in a way AI tools can understand, businesses may fall below the point where potential customers ever see them.

Agentic AEO focuses on improving clarity, structure and user intent across websites, social media platforms and Google Business Profiles. By presenting information in formats AI systems can easily process, businesses can improve both visibility and credibility within automated responses.

The SMART Busnes AEO Insight Series provides practical support, including step-by-step guidance on restructuring webpages, examples of effective layouts, and tailored AI prompts to help business owners produce optimised content quickly and affordably. Even modest changes – such as a website review, targeted content update or short advisory session – can influence how a business appears in search results over the coming year.

Antur Cymru chief executive Bronwen Raine said the programme was designed to help businesses adapt to long-term change.

“SMART Busnes was created to support small businesses through change, not simply to chase trends,” she said.

“The Agentic AEO insight series shows how Shared Prosperity Fund investment is driving genuine innovation, building confidence, skills and sustainability across local economies.”

With many SEO providers in Wales still focused on older techniques, SMART Busnes is positioning Ceredigion and the wider Mid and West Wales region at the forefront of AEO adoption.

By translating emerging digital theory into accessible, practical support, the programme aims to strengthen resilience among rural enterprises and ensure they remain visible, trusted and competitive in an AI-led future.

More information about SMART Busnes and the support offered by Antur Cymru Enterprise is available via the organisation’s website.