Volotea adds flights for Wales fans travelling to Rugby World Cup France 2023 from Cardiff Airport

Established in 2011, Volotea flies from 22 cities in France and has aircraft based in eight French cities, including in Lyon and Nantes.

Flights are on sale using the airline’s app and are also available on its website: www.volotea.com, as well as through various sports tour operators and travel agencies.

The first special flight is to Lyon, where Wales will play Australia in its Pool C match at the OL Stadium. Leaving Cardiff at 17:15 on Friday 22nd September, the Wales fans will be able to soak up plenty of pre-game ambience in Lyon before the game kicks off at 21:00 on Sunday 24th September. The return flight will then depart Lyon at 16:05 on Monday 25th September.

 On Saturday 7^th October, Wales will play Georgia in the Stade de la Boujoire in Nantes, and it is for this last Pool C fixture that the second special flight has been arranged by Volotea. Departing Cardiff at 18:00 on Friday 6^th October, the Wales fans will have plenty of time to sample the local sweet treats called rigolettes before the match starts at 15:00 the next day. The return flight back to Wales leaves Nantes at 14:00 on Sunday 8^th October. 

“We have been working for some time on securing flights to take Wales fans from Cardiff to the Rugby World Cup, and we welcome this commitment from Volotea,” says Marc Watkins, Aviation Development Manager for Cardiff Airport. “Of course, the big pool game, where interest to get to the match is highest, is against Australia in Lyon, so we are especially excited to have flights for that particular weekend.”

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new flights directly connecting Welsh rugby fans to the upcoming Rugby World Cup matches in France. Our new direct routes from Cardiff to Lyon and Nantes will offer a seamless and convenient travel experience, ensuring that fans can focus on the excitement of the game rather than the logistics of travel. We are proud to be partnering with Cardiff Airport to make this service possible and are confident that fans will appreciate the quality of our service from the moment they step on board,” says Gabriel Schmilovich, Chief Strategy Officer, Volotea.

“We have been inundated with enquiries about getting Wales fans to the World Cup games from Cardiff,” explains Jim Strachan, Director at Cowbridge-based Strachan Travel, a division of Venatour, Official Travel Authorised Sub-Agent for Rugby World Cup France 2023. “Having these flights to Lyon and Nantes with Volotea, a well-established European low-fare airline, gives us a very workable travel solution for these important group matches.”

Schedule to Lyon and Nantes*

*Times are local, schedule subject to change.

(Lead image: Cardiff Airport)