A Welsh airport is hoping for a brighter future after a turbulent period that nearly led to legal action.
Swansea Council, which owns but does not operate Swansea Airport, had been moving to terminate the lease held by the current operator due to a “range of issues.”
However, in early August, the operator agreed to relinquish the lease. A group representing users of the 450-acre Gower site will temporarily take over operations.
Although legal action was avoided, frustration remains among many involved, and uncertainty still surrounds the future of the current staff.
Similarly, several individuals who spoke with the Local Democracy Reporting Service have expressed their desire to move forward and fully capitalise on the potential of the Fairwood Common facility.
Swansea Council said its 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 World War 2.
The council said it didn’t have the in-house expertise to run such a facility, with a spokesperson commenting: “Running an airport is a specialised activity, one that’s not within the core business of a council.”
Thousands of people will have fond memories of flights over the Bristol Channel or learning to fly in gliders as air cadets.
Gower councilor Richard Lewis recalled arranging a half-term flight many years ago to Swansea from Taunton, Somerset, where he was at school at the time.
He said: “There was a rail strike, so I organised the flight. 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 2023 to start a passenger service to Exeter. However, those plans didn’t come to fruition.
The airport, along with its two runways, currently hosts two flying schools, a skydiving business, and around 20 pilots, in addition to visitors flying in from other locations.
The Swansea Airport Stakeholders’ Alliance, the soon-to-be-installed operator, has expressed its commitment to supporting existing users and safely running the airport seven days a week.
The alliance also plans to engage with potential investors and create opportunities for the community.
A spokesman mentioned that these opportunities could include making buildings available for community use, providing work experience for individuals with physical or learning disabilities, expanding catering options, and potentially establishing a creche to serve the Gower area.