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Last-minute cancellations to flights at Cardiff Airport have led to passenger frustration and claims "chronic" staff shortages are affecting the service.

Since Wednesday, June 26, a total of 11 Flybe flights between Cardiff , Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dublin have been scrapped without warning.

While Flybe has blamed "operational issues", there are fears the cancellations are the result of staff leaving months before the closure of Flybe's base at Cardiff Airport in October later this year.

(Image: Western Mail) (Image: South Wales Echo)

Andrew RT Davies, South Wales Central AM, blasted the airline for deteriorating standards after he was told Cardiff-based pilots and cabin crews were handing in their notices and leaving the airline short of staff to run some services.

Mr Davies said: "The ever increasing number of cancellations and delays to Flybe services is becoming a big concern and passengers are rightly frustrated that their journeys are being hit at the last minute.

"The airline has received substantial financial support from the Welsh Labour government and its taxpayer funded airport, but since Flybe announced it would be leaving airport in October the service has dramatically deteriorated, and passengers are now being let down at a rate of knots.

"We need an urgent statement from the Minister and airport to outline what is causing these cancellations and what action is being taken to help passengers, protect the airport’s reputation and recoup taxpayers’ money."

But Flybe have hit back at these claims and said it was working extra hard to make sure no more flights are cancelled. A spokesman for the airline said: "Flybe would first like to confirm that its Cardiff base remains adequately crewed and that there have been no unplanned staff departures ahead of the base closure scheduled for the end of October.

"The airline has been working closely with all its employees based there, together with their relevant Union representatives, to successfully and jointly effect a carefully managed closure, after which date Flybe will continue to proudly serve Wales with a selection of eight popular routes."

Around 60 people, directly working for Flybe, will lose their jobs when the airline closes the jet base at the end of the 2019 summer season.

A spokesman for Welsh Government said it was an operational matter for both Flybe and Cardiff Airport.

Flybe added that it apologised for the inconvenience and initially blamed the cancellations on the "knock-on effect of weekend disruption". It later amended the statement to say the cancellations were due to a combination of operational reasons, the knock-on effect of technical issues elsewhere on the network and staff sickness.

They said: "The airline would reiterate that those [cancellations] previously experienced were a result of operational reasons and not related to staffing issues ahead of the planned closure of its Cardiff base at the end of October."

According to aviation data, Flybe did not cancel any flights over the weekend and all of its flights ran on time.

One industry insider has warned the situation will only get worse as more and more Flybe staff leave to find new jobs before the October deadline.

For those passengers left stranded, Flybe are offering them the option of being re-accommodated on alternative flights or applying for a full refund.

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Spencer Birns, commercial director at the airport said he was "disappointed" passengers were being affected.

He said: "We’re disappointed passengers have been inconvenienced by the Flybe disruption and will continue to work with all of our airline partners to ensure safe and secure services for our customers. Flybe is communicating directly with those affected and is doing everything it can to prevent future issues.

"To reiterate Flybe has already confirmed, and is planning to maintain their operations at Cardiff beyond October, featuring eight key routes with a choice of up to 120 flights a week."