News

Route Media is delighted to announce its return to Cardiff Airport, having been appointed as the Airport’s exclusive advertising partner.

The new agreement sees Route Media manage advertising across Cardiff Airport’s advertising estate, strengthening a relationship between the two Welsh businesses that has been established over a number of years.

Having previously worked together, the new partnership marks an exciting next chapter for Route Media and Cardiff Airport, creating new opportunities for brands to connect with passengers throughout the airport environment.

Cardiff Airport represents a key addition to Route Media’s growing Out of Home network at an exciting time of growth for the Airport. More than one million passengers have travelled through Cardiff Airport in the latest rolling 12-month period, taking passenger numbers to their highest level since before the pandemic. The Airport was also the UK’s second-fastest growing airport in the first quarter of 2026.

With more than 35 direct destinations, including WestJet’s direct Toronto service and twice-daily KLM flights to Amsterdam connecting passengers to more than 160 onward destinations, the Airport gives advertisers access to a growing and diverse audience. Combined with longer dwell times and multiple touchpoints throughout the passenger journey, it creates a strong environment for brands looking to build awareness and engage with people travelling to and from Wales.

The airport environment gives advertisers access to audiences at multiple points throughout their journey, from arrival and check-in through to departure. It creates an opportunity for repeated brand exposure within an environment where passengers spend extended periods of time.

It also provides brands with access to a varied audience, from holidaymakers and families to business travellers and passengers travelling domestically and internationally. This combination of strong passenger volumes, dwell time and multiple touchpoints makes the airport a particularly powerful environment for brands looking to build awareness and stay front of mind.

The partnership further expands Route Media’s presence across Wales, adding a major transport environment to a network already connecting brands with audiences across key cities, commuter routes and destinations.

Dean Jones, Sales and Marketing Director at Route Media, said:

“We’re incredibly excited to be back working with Cardiff Airport. There’s a lot of history between Route and the Airport, so returning as their exclusive advertising partner feels like a really exciting next chapter for both businesses.

“Airports are brilliant environments for Out of Home. You have significant passenger volumes, longer dwell times and people moving through different stages of their journey, giving brands multiple opportunities to be seen.

“What makes Cardiff Airport particularly exciting is the variety of audiences brands can reach. Whether you want to speak to holidaymakers, families, business travellers or people arriving into Wales, there’s a real opportunity to create high-impact campaigns in an environment where people have the time to notice them.

“Route is back, and we’re looking forward to showing advertisers what’s possible.”

The appointment builds on Route Media’s wider presence across Wales and further strengthens its ability to offer brands campaigns that connect with audiences throughout their everyday journeys, from city centres and commuter routes to major transport hubs.

The return to Cardiff Airport also comes at a time of growth for aviation. UK aviation recorded its busiest ever year in 2025, with more than 302 million passenger journeys across UK airports.

Sian James, Head of Marketing, Communications and Engagement at Cardiff Airport, said:

“We’re really pleased to be working with Route Media again and to build on the strong relationship we’ve developed over a number of years.

“With passenger numbers continuing to grow, we want to make sure our advertising estate reflects the ambition we have for the Airport. There is a real opportunity to create a stronger, more engaging environment for passengers while giving brands a high-quality platform to connect with people travelling to and from Wales.

“Route understands both the Airport and the Welsh market, and we’re looking forward to working together to develop the estate, attract great brands and make much more of the commercial opportunity it presents.”

For brands and agencies, the partnership opens up another high-impact opportunity to reach audiences on the move as part of wider Welsh, regional and national Out of Home campaigns.