--- iata: CWL name: Cardiff Airport city: Cardiff country: United Kingdom lastUpdated: '2026-09-01' officialWebsite: 'https://www.cardiff-airport.com/' sources: - 'https://www.cardiff-airport.com/' - 'https://cardiff-airport.com/at-the-airport-cwl/51-executive-lounge-cwl/' - 'https://cardiff-airport.com/airport-security-cwl/' - 'https://cardiff-airport.com/to-and-from-cwl/by-rail-cwl/' - 'https://cardiff-airport.com/parking-cwl/drop-off-and-pick-up-cwl/' - >- https://cardiff-airport.com/cardiffadmin/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/S26-Timetables-as-at-161025.pdf - >- https://cardiff-airport.com/cardiffadmin/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-27-Fees-and-Charges-new-format2.pdf - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/united-kingdom/cardiff/cwl2d-y-castell - 'https://tfw.wales/ways-to-travel/bus/buying-bus-tickets' - >- https://www.traveline.cymru/timetables/?direction_id=0&routeNum=905&timetable_key=905BHNAA9 - 'https://www.gov.wales/air-transport-2025-html' - >- https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2025/annual-2025/ - >- https://www.wales247.co.uk/cardiff-airport-increases-terminal-drop-off-charges-as-new-prices-come-into-effect - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff_Airport' - >- https://www.tui.co.uk/press/tui-boosts-capacity-at-cardiff-airport-for-summer-26-with-new-routes-and-flights/ quickFacts: - >- Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan — about 12 miles / 19 km southwest of Cardiff city centre; IATA CWL / ICAO EGFF; Wales’s only scheduled commercial passenger airport; single passenger terminal; one asphalt runway 12/30 about 2,354 m (UK AIP / NATS) - >- 953,681 terminal passengers in calendar 2025 (UK CAA Table 09 figure cited across official summaries; +9.5% vs 2024’s 874,174) with 16,956 aircraft movements (+9.7%). Welsh Government Air Transport 2025 rounds Cardiff at ~958,000 terminal passengers (UK rank ~19th of 50). Airport/commercial roundings near 963,000 appear in local press — prefer the CAA table when numbers disagree. Still well below 2019’s ~1.65M - >- Owned by the Welsh Government; operated at arm’s length by Cardiff International Airport Ltd. Summer 2026 published timetable (airport PDF, subject to change): TUI leisure programme, Ryanair (Dublin + Alicante / Faro / Málaga / Tenerife), KLM Amsterdam (up to twice daily), Aer Lingus Regional to Belfast City, Vueling Alicante/Málaga marked TBC and confirmed withdrawn for winter 2026/27 after 24 Oct 2026. Do not confuse with Bristol (BRS) - >- No direct rail into the terminal. Default public chain is Transport for Wales to Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station (~30–35 minutes from Cardiff Central) then Adventure Travel bus 905 (~7–8 minutes; rail-passenger shuttle on Traveline; included on TfW “Cardiff Airport” integrated tickets). The old T9 Cardiff Airport Express remains suspended. First Cymru / local 304 also links the airport with Barry and Cardiff — confirm live on Traveline - >- Classic UK 100 ml liquids rules still published for CWL in 2026 reviews of airport guidance (even where “Next Generation Security” appears as an airline charge in the 2026/27 Fees & Charges PDF) — pack clear bag + 100 ml containers unless the airport page explicitly says otherwise on the day. Fast Track security exists as a bookable product (commercial quote / airline channel — not a walk-up public tariff on the fees sheet) - >- Sole passenger lounge is the 51° Executive Lounge airside after security / Duty Free (directions commonly: left around Costa, opposite WHSmith). Paid pre-book from roughly £16 adult on 2026 lounge aggregators — confirm live on the airport lounge page. Priority Pass does NOT admit to 51° (withdrawn from Collinson schemes since 2019); PP lists Y Castell airside pub for an £18 dining credit only (03:00–19:00). DragonPass has historically been subject to availability — book direct to guarantee a seat bentoTips: - label: Transport title: Train to Rhoose + 905 shuttle — T9 is still gone detail: >- There is no station under the terminal. Buy a Transport for Wales ticket to “Cardiff Airport” (integrated rail + Adventure Travel 905) or travel to Rhoose Cardiff International Airport (RIA) and ride the 905. TfW markets Cardiff Central → airport as under ~45 minutes end-to-end when the connection holds; the rail leg alone is about 30–35 minutes on the Vale of Glamorgan line. Traveline shows 905 as hourly, seven days, with many journeys marked rail-passengers-only — stand at the Rhoose rail/bus interchange; the hop to the terminal is about 7–8 minutes. The Welsh Government confirmed the T9 Airport Express remains suspended; do not plan on a direct coach from Central. Local bus 304 (First) also serves the airport via Barry / Cardiff Bay on a slower clock — check Traveline before you rely on it late at night. summary: >- Default public option is TfW to Rhoose + 905 shuttle; T9 Express is still suspended. category: timing - label: Security title: Pack the classic 100 ml bag — do not assume 2 L leave-in detail: >- Cardiff still appears on 2026 round-ups of UK airports that publish the classic 100 ml / one-litre clear-bag rule, even though the airport’s 2026/27 Conditions of Use lists a separate “Next Generation Security” airline charge. Empty large bottles before the lane and refill airside. Fast Track through security is offered as a commercial add-on (fees PDF points to the commercial manager for a quote) — some airlines/holiday packages bundle it; there is no simple public web price on the charges sheet. Build in extra time on TUI bank-holiday mornings when the single security block is the bottleneck. summary: >- Treat CWL as classic 100 ml unless the live airport security page says otherwise; Fast Track is bookable, not a published walk-up tariff. category: terminal - label: Lounge title: 51° is paid / DragonPass — Priority Pass is Y Castell dining only detail: >- After security, pass Duty Free; the 51° Executive Lounge sits airside (common walking note: left around Costa, opposite WHSmith). It is the only full lounge — snacks, soft drinks, limited complimentary alcohol, Wi-Fi, papers, roughly three-hour stay on paid entry. Pre-book on the airport lounge channel for the lowest adult rate (2026 aggregators show from ~£16; walk-up and peak Saturdays cost more / sell out). Priority Pass, LoungeKey and related Collinson products lost lounge access here in 2019; Priority Pass’s live Cardiff listing is Y Castell pub for an £18 food-and-drink credit (03:00–19:00, airside after Duty Free on the left) — that is not lounge entry. DragonPass may still work subject to capacity; the airport has long said only direct bookings guarantee a seat. summary: >- Pay or DragonPass for 51°; Priority Pass holders should use the £18 Y Castell dining credit instead. category: status - label: Drop-off title: Terminal kerb £4.50 / 10 min from 1 Jul 2026 — or free 20 min in CP2 detail: >- Wales247 / airport announcement effective 1 July 2026: the terminal drop-off and pick-up zone directly outside the building is £4.50 for the first 10 minutes, then £4.50 per extra 10 minutes (was £3 / £3). Car Park 2 still offers 20 minutes free and is a short walk from the terminal; longer CP2 stays are published at £6 (20–40 min), £8 (40–60 min), £10 (1–2 h). Blue Badge bays sit in Car Park 1 and Car Park 2 with help buttons on barriers; Special Assistance runs a free accessible landside minibus from car parks when booked or called from the help points (CAA accessibility assessment). Do not leave vehicles unattended on the kerb. summary: >- Kerb £4.50 / 10 min from July 2026; free 20 minutes remains in Car Park 2 a short walk away. category: timing lounges: - name: 51° Executive Lounge hours: >- Commonly listed daily about 03:30–18:00 (third-party lounge directories / aggregator mirrors of the airport product). Confirm on the airport 51° Executive Lounge page and at the door — early TUI waves and late evening banks can fall outside staffed hours. Paid entry typically capped around 3 hours before departure. access: - Pre-booked paid entry via Cardiff Airport lounge booking (best rate) - Walk-up payment when space allows (dearer; not guaranteed on peaks) - >- DragonPass where listed — airport historically capacity-managed; direct booking still advised to guarantee entry - >- Not Priority Pass / LoungeKey / Lounge Club (Collinson access ended 2019) bestFor: - TUI / Ryanair leisure departures with a 2–3 hour airside wait - >- Anyone wanting a quiet seat and included soft drinks without London lounge prices - 'Early openers when the lounge is staffed from ~03:30' summary: >- Only full passenger lounge at CWL. Airside after security / Duty Free (typically signed near Costa / opposite WHSmith). Paid pre-book is the reliable path and one of the cheapest UK lounge walk-ups when the ~£16 adult web rate is live. Priority Pass does not get you in — use Y Castell dining credit instead. Small room; school-holiday Saturdays sell out. verdict: worth-it terminal: Main terminal (airside) amenities: - Snacks and soft drinks - Limited complimentary alcoholic drinks (extras charged) - Free Wi-Fi - Newspapers / magazines - Charging points - Quiet seating away from the main gate pier - name: Y Castell (Priority Pass dining credit) hours: 'Priority Pass listing: 03:00–19:00 daily' access: - >- Priority Pass visit entitlement for £18 off food and drink (not lounge entry) - Same-day boarding pass required before ordering bestFor: - Priority Pass holders who cannot enter 51° - Short airside waits where a pub meal beats a full lounge rate summary: >- Airside pub/restaurant after Duty Free on the left — Priority Pass’s only Cardiff product. Each visit entitlement knocks £18 off a single food-and-drink bill; guests burn extra entitlements. Seating is capacity-managed at the venue’s discretion. This is not a lounge. verdict: depends terminal: Main terminal (airside) amenities: - Pub meals and drinks - £18 Priority Pass dining credit per visit entitlement waterOptions: - kind: free name: Airside Refill Wales drinking fountains zone: airside summary: >- Cardiff Airport installed Refill Wales stations in 2019 — Departure Lounge, departure-gate pier, and baggage reclaim — and later travel guides still list free fountains in the main lounge and on the gate piers. Empty bottles through the 100 ml lane and refill airside; ask staff if a unit is offline or has moved during works. location: >- After security — main Departures Lounge and along the gate pier; also baggage reclaim on arrival terminal: Main terminal isBestValue: true - kind: free name: Café / bar tap-water refill on request zone: airside summary: >- Airport customer-service guidance (and Refill scheme messaging) has long said food-and-drink outlets will refill bottles with tap water on request if a fountain is busy or out of service. location: Airside Costa / Y Castell / other F&B counters after Duty Free terminal: Main terminal - kind: purchase name: Landside / airside retail bottled water zone: landside price: Typically about £1.50–£2.50 for 500 ml summary: >- Buy a sealed bottle before security if you prefer not to hunt a fountain, or grab one airside from WHSmith / café units after Duty Free. location: WHSmith / café units landside before security and airside after Duty Free terminal: Main terminal airportistScore: 7.1 slug: cwl region: Europe --- > Markdown for [/airports/cwl](/airports/cwl). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/cwl) - [Lounge directory](/airports/cwl/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Cardiff Airport (CWL) Cardiff, United Kingdom · Europe Wales’s only scheduled commercial airport at Rhoose — one compact terminal, classic 100 ml security, a cheap 51° lounge that Priority Pass no longer enters, and a TfW + 905 shuttle hop from Cardiff Central. Leisure-heavy TUI/Ryanair banks; do not confuse with Bristol BRS. ## Airportist Score **7.1 / 10** - Comfort: 7.0 - Navigation: 8.5 - Food: 6.0 - Transport: 6.5 - Disruption resilience: 6.5 ## At a glance - Passengers: 0.95M - Terminals: 1 - Typical security: 12 min - On-time: 78% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Welsh travellers wanting to avoid the Bristol transfer for TUI / Ryanair sun routes - KLM connections via Amsterdam from a single-terminal field - Budget lounge seekers who will pre-book 51° (often from ~£16) instead of chasing Priority Pass ## Watch out for - No direct rail into the terminal — Rhoose station + Adventure Travel 905 (T9 Express remains suspended) - Classic 100 ml liquids still published for CWL in 2026 reviews — do not assume leave-in / 2 L - Priority Pass is Y Castell £18 dining credit only — Collinson lounge access to 51° ended in 2019 ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/cwl/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/cwl/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/cwl/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/cwl/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/cwl/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/cwl/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/cwl/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/cwl/reviews.md)