Its ability to accelerate passenger numbers will hinge on the outcome of legal challenge by Bristol Airport over Welsh Government £205m subsidy support plans

Cardiff Airport achieved a near 10% rise in passengers last year, but still remains well below its pre-pandemic level.

The Rhoose-based airport, which is wholly-owned by the Welsh Government, welcomed 963,000 passengers in 2025, up 9% on 2024, with a 4% rise in air traffic movements. The airport said the increase was supported by significant growth from Ryanair and TUI. Cargo volumes, supported by a new base from European Cargo, experienced a 7% increase .

The airport is also continuing to invest in route development, with further new services planned for this year and 2027.

Ryanair is set to operate its busiest ever summer, marking 12 years of operations at the airport. Extra frequency has been added across its five routes, For the summer season TUI will base a fourth aircraft at Cardiff, bringing increased frequencies to Antalya, Enfidha, Gran Canaria, Palma and Tenerife and new routes to Faro and Hurghada.

Further TUI growth is planned for the 2026-27 winter season, with new services to Kittilä (Finland) and the Dominican Republic.

Canadian low cost carrier WestJet, from May 23, will launch a new four-times-weekly service from the airport to Toronto Pearson – the largest and busiest airport in Canada. It connects to all major Canadian cities, as well as the US cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Dallas. For its inaugural 2026 summer season the route has released 21,320 seats for sale. Both Cardiff Airport and WestJet said they are “pleased with the sales performance to date.”

KLM continues to operate twice-daily services to Amsterdam, providing global hub connectivity. Moreover, Vueling continues services to Malaga and Alicante.

The airport said that P&O Cruises has expanded its fly-cruise programme with additional flights to Barbados and a new destination. The airport wouldn’t be drawn on providing a projected passenger figure for 2026.

Last month a legal challenge brought by Bristol Airport against Welsh Government plans to provide further subsidy support to the airport over a ten year period of £205m was heard by the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Around £100m of the subsidy has been earmarked for route development. Long-term the airport is aiming to get back to two million passengers. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the airport attracted 1.6 million passengers. Its subsidy support is expected to be framed at attracting routes, including more longhaul alongside WestJet, currently not served by Bristol.

As well as being deployed to attract new routes, the subsidy support will also be used to diversify away from passenger-related revenues. The airport is targeting areas such as aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and freight.

Bristol Airport, which in 2025 saw its passenger numbers dwarf Cardiff’s – at 10.8 million, of which around two million are drawn from South Wales – argues that the proposed funding breaches the post-EU state aid regime under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. It says the funding represents unprecedented state support for a UK airport and will put it at a commercial disadvantage relative to its nearest rival.

The Welsh Government’s position is that the airport is not a failing enterprise and that it plays a vital role in supporting the wider Welsh economy. An economic assessment by Grant Thornton estimates it generates a £220m gross value added positive impact on the Welsh economy through the airport’s direct, indirect and induced impacts.

Its subsidy support is expected to be framed at attracting routes, including more longhaul alongside WestJet, currently not served by Bristol.

A judgment from the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which would be subject to appeal, is not expected this side of the Senedd Election in May.

With the £52m acquisition cost of acquiring the airport from Spanish firm Abertis back in 2013, it has invested nearly £200m, with a significant element of repayable loans converted into equity.

The airport, in its last financial year to the end of March 2025, show its revenues improve from £19.33m a year earlier to £19.8m, while on a pre-Ebitda basis (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation) and exceptional items it posted a positive £5.7m. However, when factoring in the receipt of an £11.8m Welsh Government grant linked to a five-year post-Covid recovery plan, the Ebitda figure slipped into the red at £5.57m.

Since being acquired by the Welsh Government the airport has accumulated losses of around £60m.

In March last year former airport chief executive Spencer Birns quit his role. The accounts show he received a £151,088 payment, approved by the airport’s remuneration committee, in lieu of notice. No reason for his departure from what was a £131,000 role was given.

The airport’s current chief executive is Jon Bridge, having taken up his role last November. He is a former chief executive of SA Brain & Co.

ELVIS is in the building…if that building is a Vue Cinema near you. Other cinemas are available.

‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’, directed by Baz Luhrmann (on the back of his brilliant Austin Butler/Tom Hanks biopic), is a fresh documentary, showing heaps of on stage and behind the scenes footage of the King at his absolute peak.

READ MORE: Alfie Joey on why we should use our phones less and talk more

Critics say Luhrmann stylishly put together newly discovered and restored footage from Elvis’s legendary Las Vegas residencies and early-1970s tours and the reviews say it is so seamless, you cannot see the joins.

I have always been surrounded by very close to acolytes of the King. My Elvis education began early in Thornley, County Durham, where our neighbours were Elvis fanatics, all the records, Elvis mirrors, I remember them crying when he died in 1977.

Also, I clearly remember my great school mate Donald excitedly introducing me to early Elvis (‘Didja’ ever get one of them days’, ‘I love only one girl’, ‘Devil in disguise’), insisting he was at least as good as Frank Sinatra.

Later, when I was in sixth form, I found out about Elvis the comeback king and the Vegas years courtesy of my pal Bern who reinforced the whole King thing to me.

Bern went on to be my best man, but more importantly to him, he went to Memphis, has seen The Jordanaires (Elvis’s gospel quartet) and is a very serious fan to this day.

So I wasn’t surprised when Bern left an excited phone message telling me I MUST go and see ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’.

So just as I was firmly considering a rare trip to the pictures, my Aunty Patricia and Uncle David WhatsApp me separately to say I HAD to see the Elvis documentary because they have been. Individually they were flagging up how EPIC it is!!

So last Saturday, I go along with Mrs Joey and Alfie Joey Jr to Gateshead Vue.

Wow! No one was exaggerating. It is electric! It IS epic! The film smoothly blends electrifying live performances with the rare material in a way that is hard to describe.

It is like an unbelievable jigsaw but you cannot see the joins. Thankfully, unlike so many current documentaries that are cluttered with endless talking heads (many of whom did not know the subject), Luhrmann just lets Elvis tell his own story through rare or rediscovered interviews.

The film captures the charisma, the humour and the blistering energy of Presley at his dynamic best on stage. And Mrs Joey also noted his collection of rehearsal shirts were simply the best she had ever seen.

So now it is my turn to tell you. You MUST go and see EPIC because, and I repeat, it is…epic!!! You’ll be all shook up, now …thank you very much.

I have left the building.

FACTS AND FOOTNOTES:

l Elvis never performed outside North America— largely because his manager Colonel Tom Parker, avoided travelling abroad

l Frank Sinatra welcomed Elvis home from the army on a TV show special and they duetted ‘Love Me Tender’ and ‘Witchcraft’

l Elvis was a black belt in karate. Obsessed with martial arts, he earned a 7th-degree black belt

Alfie Joey will be IN the building at The Hilton, Gateshead, hosting the BusinessiQ Awards for The Northern Echo on April 22. You can email Alfie via www.AlfieJoey.com and subscribe to his free newsletter there.

A bridge, often referred to as the ‘Nun’s Bridge’ is said to be haunted by the revengeful spirits of a nun

Cambridgeshire is incredibly historical, and whether you enjoy hearing of spooky stories, or not, the county is filled with them.

One Cambridgeshire village is home to two haunting historical tales sure to send chills down your spine. Alconbury, a village located around five miles from Huntingdon, has supposedly seen sightings of two ghosts.

The first story begins in 1780, when a young boy, named Gervais Matcham, ran away from home to become a jockey before enlisting in the infantry, deserting, and being forced to re-enlist.

According to Capturing Cambridge, he was ordered to chaperone the regimental Quartermaster’s son, Benjamin Jones, who was the regiment’s 15 year old drummer boy, on a walk to collect £7 from a man named Major Reynolds.

However, Benjamin did not make it home. According to UK Mythology, after staying the night at Alconbury, Benjamin became increasingly concerned of his companion.

It turns out, the boy was right to be worried. Matcham slit Benjamin’s throat on the way back from the collection, and fleed the scene to the north of York.

He was not caught until years later, when he confessed to his crime after seeing visions, including ones of his victim.

Matcham was sentenced to be hanged at the spot where he killed his victim according to Capturing Cambridge. This is reportedly next to the present-day A1 and his body, in its red uniform, was left to rot.

You may assume that it is Matcham’s ghost that haunts the area but rather, it is said to be the murdered drummer boy.

He reportedly haunts the area between Alconbury and Alconbury Weston, according to several sources. There have been reports of people hearing Benjamin walking and drumming behind them if they are travelling the stretch of road after sunset.

But, that is not the only ghost said to haunt Alconbury. The village is supposedly also haunted by a nun.

It is believed her ghost jumps out in front of passing cars, forcing them to swerve dangerously.

Legend has it that a nun’s body was originally found at Hinchingbrooke House. She supposedly had a secret love-affair and ran off with a monk. But once the relationship was discovered, and she reportedly became pregnant, they were both subsequently executed.

Due to this, the surrounding area is said to be haunted by the revengeful spirit. The bridge at Alconbury Brook, often referred to as the ‘Nun’s Bridge’ is said to be haunted by the spirits of the nun.

Zahira Byjaouane, 43, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

A mother has been charged with murdering her baby girl after she fell from a residential property.

The Metropolitan Police said officers attended Horseferry Road in Westminster, central London, after reports on Saturday morning that a baby had fallen from a height.

The 18-day-old infant was pronounced dead in hospital.

Zahira Byjaouane, 43, of Horseferry Road, has been charged with murder and remanded in custody.

She is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Flowers and a toy animal were left near the Peabody Estate building on Sunday morning, where a police cordon had been lifted.

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

Prince William has shared an emotional tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana, on Mother’s Day

Advertisement

Prince William has paid an emotional tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana, on Mother’s Day, sharing a touching post and previously unseen photograph. Like millions across the nation, the Prince of Wales is honouring the women in his life on this significant day, and will undoubtedly have something special planned for Princess Kate.

However, the Duke has also acknowledged one particularly important figure: his late mother. This morning, he took to social media to share a photo of the two of them, with a caption expressing his thoughts of Diana “today and everyday”.

This year would have marked Diana’s 65th birthday. The caption reads: “Remembering my mother, today and every day. Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today. Happy Mother’s Day. W”.

The photograph, taken at Highgrove in 1984, depicts a young Prince William amidst a field of flowers with the late Diana. William was only 15 years old when his mother tragically died in a car accident in Paris in 1997.

William frequently discusses how he shares stories of their late grandmother with his own children – George, Charlotte and Louis – and how much of his charitable work, especially his involvement with homelessness charities, follows in her footsteps.

Prince William won’t be the only one remembering his late mother today, as his children also use Mother’s Day to honour the grandmother they never got to meet. Several years ago, William shared some cards created for Diana by the youngsters – with Charlotte’s containing a particularly poignant message.

Her note appeared on a fuchsia-coloured card featuring a hand-drawn multi-coloured heart. Within it, she made certain to mention how much her father William misses his mum.

Charlotte wrote: “Dear Granny Diana, I am thinking of you on mother’s day. I love you very much. Papa is missing you. Lots of love Charlotte xxxxxxxxx”. Meanwhile, elder brother George used cursive writing on bright green card to say: “Dear granny Diana, Happy happy Mother’s Day. I love you very much and think of you always, sending lots of love from George xxxxx.”

In the 2017 documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, William spoke openly, saying he is dedicated to ensuring his children know all about their late grandmother.

He expressed his wish for his youngsters to “know who she was and that she existed” and revealed how he “constantly” talks to his children “about Granny Diana” at bedtime so that they understand “there are two grandmothers in their lives”. The future monarch said: “We’ve got more photos up around the house now of her and we talk about her a bit.”

He further stated: “It’s hard because obviously Catherine didn’t know her so she cannot really provide that level of detail, so I regularly put George and Charlotte to bed, talk about her and just try to remind them that there are two grandmothers, there were two grandmothers in their lives. So it’s important that they know who she was and that she existed.”

Firstly, not all bobs are created equal. As hairstylist Kira Hellsten points out, Robbie’s new bob may simply be badly styled. “It does look very lacklustre – almost flat, and wet,” she says. There’s also a problem that arises with mid-length bobs, where it can feel like someone hasn’t fully committed to the chop. “If you’re too scared to go fully above shoulders, it can look like you’re trying to grow something out,” Hellsten says. “So you have to make it look like it’s a very intentional haircut.”

Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Donald Trump while presenting an award at the 2026 Oscars.

Kimmel kicked his rivalry with the US president back into gear when announcing the winner for Best Documentary Feature – poking fun at Melania Trump’s critically maligned documentary released earlier this year.

“Oh man, is he gonna be made his wife wasn’t nominated for this,” Kimmel said without specifically name-checking Trump.

More to follow

Customers regularly share their excitement for new items on social media, but a recent post has seen some footwear more than double in price.

The fashion retailer has sold its basic flip flops for 90p for years, but now customers have seen an increase in the price, saying it’s the “end of an era” as they now cost £2.

Having said this, the flip flops were posted on the official Primark TikTok page in 2024, and they cost £1 back then.

One customer said on the Bargain Lovers Facebook page that the price increase was “crazy”.

While the flip flops have been a staple for customers’ holidays over the years, they have also been used at weddings for guests who needed a break from uncomfortable shoes like heels.

Primark increases price of flip flops ahead of summer

The flip flops come in a range of colours, including white, black, pink, blue, navy and dark brown, and they’re only available to buy in stores rather than online.

Sharing a picture of the Primark flip flops on the shelves of one of its stores, someone said: “£2 at Primark?? The 90p days were elite”, sparking a debate with shoppers sharing their thoughts on the new price.

Simple ways to shop sustainably and save money

Some shoppers were shocked on seeing the news: “2 quid now xx”, adding two shocked face emojis.

Another customer said they were “fuming”, while someone else said the change in price is “disgusting”.

While some shoppers think the increase is big, others disagreed with one saying: “tbf though, 90p was too low”.

This person commented: “Cost of doing business goes up, price of goods go up to match that.

Recommended reading:

“The government increased employer NI contributions and minimum wage for a start and Primark employs 30,000 people in the UK.

“£2 is still dirt cheap imo though! A cup of coffee is more than that.”

The new price didn’t seem to phase this customer: “I’m just glad they are finally back in stock”.

Newsquest has approached Primark for comment.

If he pops up on Would I Lie To You? , Last One Laughing, or wanders into shot on Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing , you know you are about to get a story that starts small and ends in tears of laughter.

His tales have become the sort of thing people fire into WhatsApp chats with a simple: “You’ve got to watch this.”

The way he tells them

Plenty of comics tell daft stories. What makes Mortimer different is how real his nonsense feels.

Think about that hilarious self‑dentistry story on Would I Lie To You? . He talks about his teeth going wrong after a chocolate bar and calmly drifts into describing how he sorted it out himself, like he is chatting about putting up a shelf.

@uanddave Would you let Bob Mortimer in your mouth? #bobmortimer #wouldilietoyou #comedy #dentist Watch Would I Lie To You? on @UKTV Play ♬ original sound – U&Dave

You can see the panel wobbling between disbelief and total acceptance, because he throws in just enough everyday detail to make the madness sound possible.

It is the same with the Chris Rea bath tale, or the gaming‑chair saga, or the time he explains a run‑in with the police that should not make sense but somehow does.

He never rushes. He circles back, adds a tiny extra detail, and suddenly you realise you have leaned forward without noticing.

It feels less like a TV bit and more like listening to the best storyteller in the pub who has finally warmed up and started on the good stuff.

Fans talk about his episodes of WILTY as the ones they always click on first. You hear people say they have “lost an hour” rewatching his clips, because once you start on one story you end up jumping straight into another.

Why Gone Fishing hits differently

Then there is Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing , which feels like a completely different show until Bob opens his mouth and you realise it is the same brain at work, just with more sky and fewer studio lights.

On paper, it is two blokes by a river.

null (Image: BBC/Robert Pereira Hind)

In reality, it is long, daft conversations about nothing in particular that suddenly open up into something very honest about getting older and being scared.

You get the wobbly walks along the bank, the dafter moments when he ends up on his backside or arguing with a camping chair, but you also get those pauses where he and Paul Whitehouse talk very plainly about heart surgery and what comes after.

The switches between clowning and vulnerability feel natural rather than forced.

It is exactly how a day out with an old mate often goes: serious for five minutes, then completely stupid again.

That is why people lean on Bob when life feels heavy.

A Teesside voice in a national spotlight

Through all of this, Mortimer has never sounded like he has drifted away from where he started.

The way he describes streets, neighbours and jobs feels very recognisable if you grew up anywhere in the North East.

null (Image: John Bailey)

There is a particular rhythm to how he talks about stupid decisions, daft plans and old cars that belongs to this part of the world.

That is why younger viewers who find him through clipped‑up WILTY stories or short Gone Fishing moments often end up digging back through older work like Shooting Stars .

They are not just stumbling across a random panel‑show regular. They are discovering someone whose voice carries a whole region with it, even when he is talking about something as daft as improvised dentistry or a spa day gone wrong.

Why the clips never die

In an internet full of things you only watch once, Mortimer’s stories are oddly rewatchable.

The punchline is never the only point.

null (Image: Ian West/PA)

You come back for the way he sets it up, the way his face goes serious just as the story goes ridiculous, and the way everyone around him slowly falls apart.

Even when you know where his dentistry tale is heading, you still want to hear how he gets there. The same is true of Gone Fishing .

In the end, that is why the love for Bob Mortimer keeps bouncing back every time a clip resurfaces.

He brings proper oddness into the most ordinary settings, but never sneers at the people or places in his stories.

He sounds like a Teesside neighbour, behaves like the funniest person in your friendship group, and somehow turns dental cement, motorway lay‑bys and quiet riverbanks into part of the country’s shared in‑jokes.

For a lot of readers here, he will always be that lad from Middlesbrough who made it big and never stopped sounding like one of us.

Addressing the crowd on Sunday, Bobby Vylan said: “Here we are today as a community in an attempt to remain human and let this Government know that despite all of their scare tactics, for every doctor they harass with repeated arrests; for every musician they attempt to ban from playing shows; for every pensioner with a placard they bundle into a police van; for every political prisoner they hope starves to death; we are here unbreakable and human standing always with the people of Gaza.