 Air Wales' Brussels service is set to resume from March 2006 |
Direct flights from Cardiff to Brussels are to resume from March next year, the Welsh transport minister is due to announce on Tuesday. The twice-daily Air Wales service to the Belgian capital will be restored after a gap of nearly two years.
The route is the first to benefit from a �4m Welsh Assembly Government fund to attract new air connections to Wales.
Transport Minister Andrew Davies said the Brussels link sent an "important signal" about Wales' place in Europe.
Air Wales scrapped scheduled flights between Cardiff and Brussels in April 2004, blaming insufficient interest. The service had been running for only three months.
Ministers hope the new route development fund will attract many more direct air links to Wales over the next few years.
Mr Davies said: "The fund will play a key role in improving accessibility and competitiveness for Welsh businesses, opening up new markets and encouraging tourism and inward investment.
"Support will be focused on those routes which deliver a net economic benefit for Wales."
'Important signal'
The fund - which will support international and domestic routes - aims to share the risk in starting new air services which benefit business or tourism.
Support is limited to a maximum of three years.
Mr Davies said he was "particularly pleased" to announce the new flights to Brussels.
He added: "This service will restore our direct connection with the very heart of Europe.
"It sends an important signal about our place in Europe and means that people travelling to Brussels from south Wales will once again have a convenient service on their doorstep."
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
