Just How much money has Welsh Labour has given to Ryanair to return to Cardiff?
Labour ministers need to tell Welsh taxpayers how much of their money might’ve been spent on encouraging Ryanair to return to Cardiff Airport, the Welsh Conservatives have urged.
Ryanair announced today that it would resume flights from the Rhoose-based airport after a 15-year break, and that the return was made possible by “necessary incentives.”
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS, said:
“Ryanair’s return to Cardiff Airport is welcome news, and I hope it goes some way to help improve the airport which has been struggling and under-performing since the Welsh Labour Government took it into public ownership in 2013.
“However, it’s a little concerning to hear that the operator’s comeback has only been made possible by ‘necessary incentives,’ which can only mean the airport has once again been flashing the cash. I would like to see some transparency and know exactly what incentives have been provided.
“Taxpayers have the right to know how much money might have been spent enticing Ryanair to Cardiff Airport and I urge Labour ministers to come clean on this detail, particularly as the site has already been a beneficiary to the tune of nearly £150m.
“We want to see a thriving airport, but Labour’s policy of chucking public cash at airlines to entice them to its flailing airport, seems to fly in the face of ministers’ rhetoric in other areas of transport and environmental policy.”
