ViewpointsAirport Facilities Not Impressive

Recently my wife and myself returned from a short break in Spain.

We landed at Cardiff International Airport where we witnessed three people trying to place a set of mobile steps against the plane. After several attempts they finally succeeded.

We then descended this rickety contraption, bearing in mind that at least a third of the passengers were senior citizens.

We then had a walk of at least 800 yards, up steps down steps back and forth.

We reached the passport checkout area absolutely breathless.

There we were met by post office- type barriers, not in two straight lines to reach the check-out points but laid out in chicanes which were reminiscent of sheep pens.

At the end of all this there was a huge plaque whereby the right honourable somebody or other boasted of having opened this wonderful new addition to Cardiff International Airport.

Most airports provide escalators for passengers who face a long walk, not so Cardiff.

I then had to walk another 500 yards to get to my car.

No footbridge, no safe subway, myself and two other people were nearly mown down by some overzealous idiot in a Jeep rushing to the pick-up point.

At last I was in the car armed with my pre-booked ticket which I inserted into the ticket barrier.

The barrier failed to lift.

I pressed the help button and was told I would have to go to the office. I left the car to walk to the office when lo and behold there before me was a notice saying it had moved.

The office is now situated in the arrival building.

By this time I had a queue of vehicles behind me.

I had to tell them to reverse.

I had to re-park the car and walk all the way back to the arrival building.

The organisers of Cardiff airport can forget about claiming to be an international airport.

Syd Boulton Caerphilly

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