The low-cost passenger plane operator, bmibaby, has expressed an interest in taking on British Airways' routes from Cardiff International Airport after the national carrier declared it was pulling out.

British Airways said it is withdrawing all its flight operations from Wales following a review of its CitiExpress routes.

The UK's national airline is to continue its aircraft maintenance work in south Wales, which employs more than 1,000 people.

British Airways flights from Cardiff withdrawn:

Cardiff to Brussels Cardiff to Belfast Cardiff to Aberdeen Cardiff to Paris Cardiff to Jersey

But bmibaby managing director, Tony Davis, described BA's pull-out decision as "a big mistake" and said he is interested in picking up the airline's Paris route which becomes available in March.

The budget operator began working from Cardiff airport in the autumn, flying to routes across the UK and Europe, and added three additional routes earlier this month.

Mr Davis said: "Bmibaby has been operating out of Cardiff very successfully for seven weeks.

"We're very excited about the opportunity to expand our service even further."

BA will cut 46 flights a week - to Brussels, Paris, Jersey, Aberdeen and Belfast - affecting a total of 71 staff as part of reducing its air routes across the UK to 21.

David Evans: Flights are to continue from Bristol and Birmingham airports

David Evans, BA's head of business, said the decision to stop operating from Cardiff had been tough but 'was crucial to underpin the rest of the operation as we move forward'.

"The announcement is all about strengthening and simplifying our UK network.

"We are looking at the business where we see there are opportunities."

He said people in Wales could still access BA flights from Bristol and Birmingham.

But Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith said the news was "very disappointing".

The news is a blow to expansion plans

"BA's decision to walk away from Cardiff International Airport instead of meeting the challenge presented by the low-cost operators, is a big mistake.

"All the experts are saying that future growth in air travel will come from regional airports.

"Cardiff International Airport is very well placed to meet those demands."

Dr Phil Williams, Plaid Cymru's spokesman, said the news was a "blow" to Cardiff.

"The city is a European capital," he said.

"British Airways is a major carrier which is looking at Cardiff as a marginal or peripheral airport."

'Dwindling'

But the Welsh Assembly Government's Business Minister Carwyn Jones said that Air Wales as well as bmibaby had begun expressing an interest in taking over the routes vacated by British Airways.

He said BA's level of services from Cardiff had been dwindling "for years" and that the firm had pulled out of Cardiff before and the airport had continued to go from "strength to strength".

Earlier this month, a consultation report on expanding Cardiff International Airport to carry up to 9m passengers a year was published by the UK Government.

The report linked the growth of the airport with the economic well-being of Wales and also looked at the potential spin-offs for a network of smaller airports around the county.