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The National Trust has blasted the plans of Cardiff International Airport to construct a new access road. This road, if proposals to build it are accepted, may run next to meadows which are an important part of the local habitat. Furthermore, the road, which will run through the Vale of Glamorgan, may negatively impact upon a beautiful village which has won numerous awards in the past. Currently, three options for the location of the road are being considered, and the Welsh Assembly Government has expressed its desire for local people to make their views known before any final decision is made.

However, for many people living in the Vale of Glamorgan, not one of the three options is satisfactory. The large majority of the inhabitants do not want to see a new road built at all and have already made such views public. Two of the road options are focussed around the A4232 from Junction 33 of the M4 but the third option, which is perhaps the most controversial choice, would see a new road link being built to the south of the M4 junction after the one proposed by the two other potential schemes.

Furthermore, the third option, which was initially proposed in 2003 but faced opposition almost straight away from the Vale council, will entail the construction of a bypass located at Pendoylan, a village which has won numerous awards as a result of its natural beauty and historic importance.

The National Trust believes that Lanlay Meadows, which could be affected by the construction of the road, would be adversely impacted upon. A spokesman for the National Trust revealed that the meadows are a “rare survival of a type of habitat and landscape that would once have been common”. He also expressed his concern about the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment.

This week, Bmibaby celebrated a very special milestone. Two days ago, the airline marked six years at Cardiff airport with several celebratory events aimed at including the passengers who have made its time in the Welsh capital such a success.

Bmibaby has operated 18,000 flights from the airport since arriving in 2002 and has managed to keep approximately three and a half million passengers happy during that time. Part of the appeal of the airline is the wide range of routes offered throughout the year. Popular destinations include Spanish and Portuguese cities such as Malaga and Faro.

However, the airline also transports passengers to destinations closer to home, including Edinburgh and Belfast. As a result of its success, Bmibaby has announced a new route - Geneva will be added to the list of destinations as of the twentieth of December. This is bound to be a popular route and a nice little earner for the airline since it is one of the top ski destinations in Europe. Skiers will be able to choose from five flights a week between Cardiff and Geneva.

Earlier this year, Bmibaby was forced to quash rumours that its services from Cardiff were going to be reduced. The company’s managing director, Crawford Rix, explained that the airline remained “committed to its operation from Cardiff and will continue to offer low fares to exciting destinations”.

Bmibaby is one of the most popular budget airlines in the UK and provides cheap flights to destinations across Europe. Click here for flight information, prices, and online booking.

The union representing pilots (BALPA) has announced that it is only a matter of time before a crash is caused by people using laser pointers to dazzle pilots as they come into land.

There were literally dozens of incidents last year where co-pilots had to assume control after the pilot was temporarily blinded, and in the last month alone a plane landing at Cardiff and one at Edinburgh were involved in potentially fatal incidents. In addition to the temporary blindness, laser attacks can also cause disorientation and uncontrollable sneezing attacks, all-in-all a lethal combination when trying to land a plane.

South Wales police are investigating the incident at Cardiff airport when a laser was shone on a plane at 4,000 feet. Because of the height of the plane it has been difficult to pinpoint the direction from which the light came but the perpetrator, if caught, could find himself facing a prison sentence.

In America there have been 900 incidents in the last four years and the authorities are considering treating offenders as domestic terrorists. At present, offenders face 20 years in prison and a fine of $25,000. Australia too has its fair share of laser users and even the famous Royal Flying Doctor plane complete with patient on board has fallen victim. Offenders in Australia face 5 years in prison if caught.

The lasers, usually imports from China or Russia and designed for astronomy, can be bought over the internet for as little as £10 and there is no doubt that in the wrong hands can be catastrophic.

It’s not an easy job but someone’s got to do it and staff in the air traffic control deck below Cardiff’s International Airport are more than aware of just how tough their job can be. Aviation safety is hot on everyone in the world’s minds at the moment so it comes as quite a stir to hear that reports have come into the public domain in the last few weeks of up to eight near crashes over the skies of the Welsh capital.

The Freedom of Information Act has come into play once again and this time it has led to some rather shocking facts being revealed to the Civil Aviation Authority. There have been reports of very near crashes above the airport when taking off and landing. There have been incidents involving drunken passengers, some of whom have had to be removed from flights. There have also been incidents with bomb scares and hoax terror attacks. An incident in which an Air Traffic Controller was distracted and almost led to two planes colliding mid flight has raised serious questions about the safety of the airport. There was even a case in 2006 of an alleged UFO in the skies, as none of the technical staff on the ground could identify the object.

The Director of Operations at the airport defends Cardiff as having “one of the best safety records in the UK”. However, he is also quick to point out that there will be thorough investigations into the incidents as they strive to be as safe as they can.

After the recent embarrassment of having sent three passengers to Turkey instead of Lanzarote following a check-in blunder by Servisair, there is yet more bad press for Cardiff airport.

In this day and age of heightened security and technological advances, it may seem extraordinary that a passenger can travel on the wrong passport. However, that is exactly what happened to a woman flying out to the Canaries on holiday last month.

Andrea Cole, aged 43, was flying out with her mother for a break at her holiday home in Fuerteventura and erroneously picked up her husband’s passport. She succeeded in clearing two lots of check points at Cardiff and another when she reached her destination without being challenged once. The immigration officer at Fuerteventura took the passport from Mrs Cole, looked at the photo and at her, and waved her through.

According to a spokesperson from Cardiff airport, Servisair - the handling agent for Thomas Cook - would have had responsibility for checking the passports both on check-in and prior to getting on to the plane. An investigation is now under way and both Thomas Cook and Servisair have apologised for the apparent breach in security, assuring the public that security is a top priority.

Meanwhile, a holiday maker leaving her hotel in Turkey was given the wrong passport by hotel staff but nevertheless managed to leave Turkey and enter the UK at Manchester airport without the error being noticed. Both the airline and the UK Border Agency have expressed concerns that this could happen and an investigation is under way.

We have all heard of luggage ending up at the wrong holiday destination but now it seems that passengers can suffer the same fate too! A family from Cardiff has found out the hard way that not only does it help to have paid attention in Geography class but also that you should take nothing at face value and check your boarding pass carefully before stepping on the plane.

Charles Corray had checked in at Cardiff airport with his wife Tania and daughter Phoebe, looking forward to his 5 star all inclusive holiday in Lanzarote. Somehow the check in clerk issued the wrong boarding pass to the family and they had not realised that Bodrum, the destination shown on the card, was in fact in Turkey. As the family had had to get up in the small hours of the morning to catch their flight, they all decided to catch up on their beauty sleep as soon as they boarded. It was not until the plane landed that the air hostess said “Welcome to Turkey!” and the penny dropped. To add insult to injury, the family had to pay £10 a head in visa charges to enter Turkey.

They were able to board the same plane later in the day, for its homeward flight back to Cardiff, where they were put up in a hotel at First Choice’s expense. Although they could have been taken to Luton in a taxi to fly out to Lanzarote for the holiday that they had planned, it would have meant returning to Luton as well on the homeward leg, which did not suit the family, who had paid extra for the convenience of flying from their local airport. They eventually agreed to accept a similar holiday in Ibiza, leaving Cardiff the following day.

Meanwhile First Choice has apologized for the mix-up and confirmed that the Servisair employee has been suspended, pending an enquiry.

Strange goings on have been reported around Cardiff Airport recently, with a police helicopter unit reporting the sighting of a suspected UFO.

The helicopter crew were above St Athan, which is close to an RAF Base and to Cardiff Airport, but they did not try to give chase to the strange craft or communicate with it in any way. Although various reports were released in the following days claiming that the craft was travelling at speed and the helicopter only just managed to avoid a collision, these remain unconfirmed.

However, just a few days after the sighting had occurred and made headlines around the world, it looked like a possible explanation had been found. A few days before the incident, Lucy and Lyn Thomas had been celebrating their wedding a short distance away from the sightings. As part of the celebrations, about 30 paper lanterns were released into the sky, which had candles inside to give them a strange glowing appearance.

They thought nothing of them until they saw the reports on the internet whilst on their honeymoon in Turkey, when it became clear to them that they were the likely cause of the mysterious sightings.

However, the apparent explanation has failed to prevent a whole host of similar UFO sightings coming out in the days following the original report. One such sighting was made by a Cardiff University doctor of psychology, who saw seven glowing objects above the Brecon Beacons. At present it is not known whether these were part of the same wedding celebrations, or whether they were something altogether more mysterious.

BMI has announced that it is to cut flights from Cardiff Airport this winter, as reported in the South Wales Echo. The decision comes as a result of the recent surges in the cost of oil, and the airline has stated that it needs to act with care in order to protect its long-term future.

Julian Carr, the commercial director of BMI, said that cutbacks were an unfortunate but necessary course of action. He claimed that BMI wants to expand its flights from the airport in the future but that “this winter is not the winter for taking risks.”

He also said that the cutbacks would not be drastic, stating that BMI would focus on reducing the number of flights to existing destinations rather than withdrawing routes entirely. However, as the winter schedule has not yet been finalised, this could still change.

This winter carries on BMI’s pattern of flight reductions from Cardiff over the last few years. Between winter 2006-07 and the following year, the number of flights went down from 150 flights a week to 124. At the moment, only 19 flights have been axed, although this number is expected to increase to the same level as last year’s figures.

BMI has also denied that these cutbacks come in response to Flybe’s arrival at the airport, and states that it is purely in relation to the uncertain economic times posed by oil prices. The fact that both airlines are present is a good thing for customers, according to Steve Hodgetts, the business director of Cardiff Airport. He said: “If bmibaby does choose to cut back from its current frequencies, then Flybe will offer the consumer continued choice.”

Passengers travelling through Cardiff Airport could soon experience a far simpler and easier check-in experience, as budget airline Flybe has just become the first company to install self-service check-in kiosks at the airport.

The three new electronic kiosks, which are the same as those that already exist in many other airports across the country, have been praised for their ability to significantly reduce the time needed for checking in. By simply walking up to the screen and entering in your details, the process is completed quickly and painlessly.

A report released last week in relation to electronic check-in kiosks reveals that about 40% of Flybe’s customers have already used such kiosks across the country. Wherever they are used, they lead to faster transit times for passengers and a more pleasant travel experience.

The director of marketing for Flybe, Simon Lilley, said that they are “committed to getting the millions of passengers.... through the check-in process as quickly and efficiently as possible”, whilst adding that the kiosks “minimise queuing and really do speed things up.”

Spencer Birns of Cardiff Airport also praised the installations, saying that they would provide a more enjoyable experience for the thousands of passengers that pass through its gates.

However, the kiosks are only the first development in Flybe’s plans for a revolution in airport check-ins. It has also been revealed that future plans include checking in using your mobile phone, which would cut down on any queuing time whatsoever. All of these technological innovations are set to transform the airline industry over the coming years, helping to cut down on costs and taking the stress out of air travel.

Cardiff residents who are hoping to jet off for some early summer sunshine will now be considering learning Catalan as bmibaby has recently launched direct flights from Cardiff Airport to Barcelona.

Initial flights will be heading out of the Welsh capital twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but demand is expected to be so great during the summer that from June 18th this will increase to three times per week, with the extra flight being introduced on Wednesdays.

The budget airline, which operates across the country, has stated that Barcelona is already an incredibly popular destination for travellers from its other UK airports, and it was sure that the introduction of the new flight from Cardiff would be warmly received by holidaymakers. What’s more, initial booking figures seem to be proving them right with 95% of the inaugural flight booked out, and they expect the popularity to grow over the summer.

This latest offering from bmibaby comes on top of the 13 other flights that the budget airline operates out of Cardiff Airport, and the addition of Barcelona is expected to go down very well with tourists. It is a fascinating city packed full of beautiful beaches and breathtaking architecture, and as well as being one of the most well known and popular cities in Europe, it also provides a great base for exploring the surrounding area.

370 passengers are expected to travel in the first week to take advantage of the new flight, and with a one-way flight including taxes and fees costing as little as £24.99 many more will be expected to follow.