A third Embraer regional jet has been deployed by Flybe from Cardiff as the regional carrier marks three years of operating from the Welsh airport.
The carrier has claimed a 124% increase in passengers and an almost doubling of routes over the period.
Flybe operates from Cardiff to seven countries with 17 routes offering up to 78 return flights a week. The three most popular services are to Edinburgh, Dublin and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Two of the airline’s franchise partners operating out of Cardiff are Eastern Airways, which serves to Anglesey, Newcastle and Aberdeen; and Blue Islands, which operates summer flights to Guernsey.
Flybe opened its new base at Cardiff Airport with a ten-year agreement in June 2015.
Chief commercial officer Roy Kinnear said: “Flybe’s strong performance and increased growth over the past three years demonstrates our commitment to the national airport of Wales.
“We have continued to fine tune our schedule with added frequency and new routes that is testament to our flexibility and responsiveness in meeting customer needs.
“We look forward to continued growth and to providing customers with access to an even wider choice of routes to and from Wales. Having such choices to travel to and from local regional airports is something we at Flybe consider a necessity, not a luxury.”
Cardiff airport finance director and company secretary Huw Lewis added: “It has been so exciting to see just how much Flybe’s base has gone from strength to strength in three short years.
“What started as a two aircraft base with a modest selection of destinations has flourished into a thriving three-aircraft base with more routes being added all the time such as Venice, Rome and Berlin Tegel.
“Our customers were asking for more flights, offered at convenient times and at the right price and Flybe has continued to deliver, whilst also entering into franchise agreements that further expand the choice of available destinations.”