Fresh Toronto flights spark optimism for Cardiff hub

Backed by the first minister, WestJet's Canada route could reverse the struggling airport's decline

- Simon Calder

As you know, airlines announce new flights all the time. The deepening gloom of late November is a particularly opportune moment to share with the world about fresh travel opportunities for the summer ahead.

Rarely, though, is a four-times-a-week departure on a narrow-bodied plane from a relatively small airport given public backing by a national leader. Yet that is exactly what has happened with the new link from Cardiff airport. The destination: Toronto. The airline: WestJet. The leader: Eluned Morgan, first minister of Wales.

As the route was unveiled, she said: "This is welcome news for passengers, businesses and our tourism industries, both in Wales and Canada. With good connections to other Canadian cities, the new Toronto route will open up new economic opportunities for Wales in North America."

Between May and September next year, the 3,444-mile journey out to Canada's largest city is scheduled to take just under eight hours, and just over seven hours on the return leg. Yet the aircraft being used is a Boeing 737 Max aircraft with only 174 seats on board - meaning fewer than 700 each way, each week. So why is this such a significant moment in aviation for Wales?