This week has seen flights to Dublin from Cardiff take off with Ryanair, once again connecting the Welsh and Irish capitals.

Travelling passengers were surprised at the gate with novelty celebration cupcakes, created by local artisan bakery, The Vale Cake Boutique, to mark the occasion.

The Cardiff-Dublin service operates on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, making it easy for customers to travel not only for business, but to visit friends and relatives, or explore a vibrant city rich with great pubs, restaurants and architecture. Dublin is also located close to stunning coastline and is an excellent starting point for further exploring Ireland’s beautiful landscapes.

The new service is also welcome news for sports teams and their fans, notably those travelling to football and rugby fixtures in both capital cities. With the Autumn Internationals already underway, and the Six Nations coming up in 2022, fans can travel with ease for matches.

David Walters, Chief Financial Officer at Cardiff Airport said:

“It is fantastic to have Ryanair once again serving the route between Dublin and Cardiff with regular flights at attractive prices. Flights to the Irish capital are in high demand, with many residents in Wales regularly travelling to Dublin for leisure, business and visiting relatives.

“It has been a priority to ensure that routes paused due to the pandemic are restored, including this key route to Dublin. Earlier this year our airlines partners re-instated routes to key cities including Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Belfast, and we look forward to launching a new service to Paris with Vueling this week. We are pleased to be restoring these key air links, helping to provide further stimulation to trade and tourism for Wales.”

“I’d like to thank Ryanair for their continued focus on developing their network from Cardiff Airport.”

Director of Commercial, Jason McGuinness at Ryanair added:

“We are delighted to be announcing this Cardiff to Dublin route, operating four weekly flights from the 31st of October. This route will further enhance connectivity between Wales and Ireland as Ryanair continues to re-build Europe’s aviation and tourism industry by restoring connectivity and growing its network of passengers to over 225 million by 2026.

Welsh and Irish families can look forward to reconnecting this Christmas and friends and couples seeking a nearby city break can fly on Ryanair’s lowest fares with four weekly flights to choose from.”

Dublin is the latest addition to Ryanair’s services from Cardiff, adding to flights to Faro and Malaga, which are now on sale for Summer 2022.