Cardiff Airport has become a "bottomless pit for taxpayers" according to the Welsh Conservatives.

The airport lost £4.4m in the financial year 2022-23, although this was down by £2m from the previous year.

Figures show that since the Welsh Government took over the management of the airport in 2013, it has lost nearly £6.1m.

Official statistics reveal Cardiff to be the only UK airport within the top 30 that witnessed a decline in passengers between 2022 and 2023.

Nearly 859,805 passengers used the airport in 2022, but the number fell by roughly 21,000 to 838,574 in 2023.

Notably, this fall occurred after Wizz Air ceased its services from the airport.

Responding to these figures, shadow minister for transport, Natasha Asghar MS said: "Under the ownership of the Labour Welsh Government, Cardiff Airport is becoming a bottomless money pit for taxpayers.

"While the trend for other similar airports is an increase in passenger numbers, Cardiff Airport is moving in the opposite direction.

"Unless the Labour Welsh Government can deliver more passengers and routes at the airport, it will continue to be a financial black hole."

Spencer Birns, CEO of Cardiff Wales Airport, said: “The airport finished the 2023 calendar year with 841,188 passengers, which was 2% down on the same period in 2022.

"Despite losing Wizz Air in this period, which was 13% of our capacity, the growth we locked in already materialised with some other carriers.

“Highlights of the growth expected this summer includes TUI, Wales’ largest tour operator, adding 12,000 more holidays for our customers. This is providing even more choice from its services to 23 popular destinations that the operator flies to from Cardiff Wales Airport. Due to high demand, many of the extra holidays are available for trips to Turkey, Tunisia, and Cyprus.

“Ryanair is growing its choice of destinations to 5 routes. The airline is adding two new routes to Alicante and Tenerife. This is in addition to flights to Dublin, Malaga, and the Algarve.”