A New Airport

The other day I received a brochure from the local council among which was a brief article about the island's new civilian airport. Although it is actually a sharing of the RAF Valley base the civilian side will be known as Anglesey Airport. This is the name the council came up with when they sat down to debate a name for the airport. Now who would have thought they would make this its name?????

As for the logo it looks like a red dragon in flight so full marks for an appropriate symbol for a Welsh airport. We are told that negotiations are still underway and that the chosen airline to fly the Anglesey-Cardiff passengers will be advised in January. Another thing we were advised was that work had already started on the new terminal building. Now, don't go haring off down to the airfield, expecting to see the footings being dug for the building. The only sign that any change is happening is that there is a JCB down there and several men working to change the profile of the junction just by the guardroom!

In fact, I understand that visitors and passengers will access the airfield by driving through a gateway directly opposite the road to the base. At present you have top turn sharp left to approach the guardroom or right to take the road which goes across the end of the nearest runway and heads towards Valley itself. In other words, what is now a T junction will become a crossroad as you drive onto the civilian area.

At the beginning there will be two flights per day in each direction with a possibility of later routes to Dublin and London. If we get London flights I bet they are not to either Heathrow or Gatwick. My money is on London City Airport which has really blossomed recently and hosts flights all over Europe. My secret wish is that we shall be able to use the airport when we go on holiday. With the current increase in low cost flying this should be possible.

If more visitors come to our lovely island because we have an airport that will be excellent news because our economy is forever precarious. Looking at the transport infrastructure of Wales in its entirety one can see a great need for improvement. If you live in North West England then you have an excellent road in the A55 North Wales Expressway. It takes you all the way to Holyhead where you can take a ferry to Ireland. However, if you live in North Wales and wish to visit either South or Mid Wales you have only the A470. It is a road that runs all the way down from Llandudno to South Wales. But at no point is there a dual carriageway! So it is all too easy to have to follow slow traffic for many miles. As a journey it can be dreadful.

Now that we are to have flights to South Wales things will improve. Because at present the roads from North to South are totally inadequate. Despite our love affair with the island there are times when we need to travel elsewhere and this is when we feel to be cut off from the mainstream of life. People say, "It is because of all the mountains that we have no roads." Well I can tell you that Greece is a very mountainous country but they have an excellent road network.

But, just think of it - can't you just hear the flight announcer at Anglesey Airport saying one day, "Will the final two passengers for Robin Hood please make their way to the aircraft." (Robin Hood is the name of the airport for Doncaster and Sheffield)

Yes, we have to start somewhere and we have made that start. 2007 will see an airport in Anglesey. I am sure it will grow and grow and become a great asset to the island and North Wales. Well done to all who have worked hard in negotiations and discussions.