17/03/2014 BBC Wales Today

Good evening. They're saying it's take off at Cardiff Airport. New

figures show a rise in the number of passengers since it was bought by

the Welsh Government for ?52 million a year ago. The figures, obtained

exclusively by BBC Wales, reveal the number of people using the airport

went up by more than 9% between April last year and February this

year. That means more than a million passengers using the airport,

compared with 942,000 the year before.

Millions of pounds are being spent on work at Cardiff Airport. We have

been given exclusive access and have seen the work being done in front

and behind the scenes, but well facilities at important the success

of the airport is on being able to fly people were they want to go at a

place they want to pay. All the existing carriers have had a year,

with places like Alicante and Barcelona, links to the US. It is

our local airport. It is very convenient. It could do with being a

bit bigger. The Welsh government says the increase in passengers

shows that baby airport was the right decision. It shows that for

those who thought it was a bad idea for the government to only airport,

have you seen the figures? It confirms what we thought, at the

airport has a future. A new carrier operating from here is one of the

reasons Cardiff is attracting more passengers flying to increasing

numbers of destinations. There's still a lot of ground to make up to

reach the peak as it was all over 2,000,007 years ago. These

passengers arrived from Amsterdam -- 2000 seven years ago. It is lovely.

Cardiff is flying to 40 destinations. Experts say there are

challenges ahead. One of the key things is to reinforce a distinctive

local brand identity which can take a number of forms but one of the

things we have seen is that by and large people do not have a good word

to say about airports, they are to be injured rather than enjoyed. If

they can create an identity that will be useful. That is what

Liverpool has done with the John Lennon Airport and the Scottish

Government has bought Prestwick airport. The decision to buy Cardiff

was not universally welcomed. Considering the trend unfortunately

for the airport was down, 9% is to be welcomed, but it takes it nowhere

near what the figures used to be. We welcome any growth at Cardiff

Airport but we are keen that should be a proper International Airport

which means proper investment which has to be transparent so we know

where the money came from and where it is going. After years of decline

the airport may be back on the right course. The question is whether it

can continue to go back to its peak of 2 million passengers.

An escalating row between the Welsh and UK governments is casting doubt

over who'll pay for a major upgrade to the railways in South Wales.

First Minister Carwyn Jones says the Prime Minister told him the UK

Government will fund the electrification of the main line to

Swansea and the Valleys lines. But the UK Government insists ministers

in Cardiff had agreed to bear the costs of electrifying the Valleys

lines. A female teacher from Newport has

admitted a series of sexual offences against a teenage pupil. Kelly

Ann-Marie Burgess, 26, here in the brown coat, appeared before

magistrates in Weston-super-Mare. She admitted sexual activity with a

boy when he was 16 and 17 last year. The offences took place in north

Somerset. A choir director who was unfairly

dismissed from her job with St. Giles' church in Wrexham has been

awarded compensation running into five figures. Jacqui Blore was made

redundant last August and many choir members went on strike in protest.

The church council had been accused of failing to follow the correct

procedure in dismissing her. The emergency services have been

fighting a large grass fire near Merthyr Tydfil. The fire, near a

reservoir just north of the town, scorched an area of hillside around

six miles wide. Tonight, South Wales Fire Service says it's still getting

a high volume of calls about grass fires.

Since mid morning the grass burned high on the hillside above the

Ponsticill Reservoir, fanned by strong winds. This beautiful

countryside is part of the Brecon Beacons National Park and the flames

were perilously close to forestry. Firefighters from Merthyr Tydfil,

Aberdare and Tonypandy have had to use special vehicles to get close to

the seat of the fire. We have a number of resources dealing with the

incident but our priority is to stop the fire getting into the forestry

and protect the habitat. The flame is still visible despite

firefighters tackling it for over eight hours. The stench of small and

the charred hillside testament to a blaze that spread 8-10 Coloma tours

across the hillside -- 8-10 kilometres. Within a three mile

radius, other smaller grass fires were alight during the day. Over the

weekend in South Wales alone, 54 such fires were tackled. All were

started deliberately. It has a drastic effect on the Fire Service

and other agencies because once we are here it is difficult to deploy

resources to other areas, so it puts lives at risk and damages wildlife.

Tonight officers say the grass fire on the Beacons is under control and

they're damping down. However, they know as the weather improves and

more people venture into the countryside they'll get more and

more calls of this nature. Peace looks set to break out in

rugby with agreement for a new European Cup likely to be announced

this week. The Six Nations Committee met in Paris today to put the

finishing touches to the plan. Agreement would bring to an end

nearly two years of bitter argument and stand-offs over who should run

the competition. We enjoyed some lovely sunshine over

the weekend. Not quite so nice over the next few days. We will all see

some rain on Thursday and strong winds as well and the temperature is

set to drop on Friday with a chilli and to the week. 20 of clouds around

-- plenty of cloud around. Temperatures staying above freezing

with the south-westerly breeze. Tomorrow, low pressure across the UK

which will bring rain and showers, heavy rain for the north-west of

Holland and the wind will be stronger than it was today --

Scotland. Showers will spread across the country during the morning.

Quite breezy, strong winds on exposed costs and the north-west.

Across the rest of the UK, some rain and showers, some heavy rain for

part of northern England and Scotland, you may hear a rumble of

thunder. Further south, fewer showers, most of southern England

dry with a little sunshine. It should be dry in London tomorrow, a

few showers for Edinburgh and Belfast. Most of Wales by tomorrow

afternoon, one or two showers in the afternoon, a few glimpses of

sunshine, breezy, so feeling cooler than today. Tomorrow night looks dry

but low cloud may bring some drizzle to Snowdonia later and then into

weapons they mixed fortunes. Low cloud and hill fog in the south and

west. Otherwise dry, the best of the sunshine and the highest

temperatures in the north-east. On Thursday, a cold front moves south

during the day which will bring rain, so turning wet and windy,

heavy rain accompanied by strong to gale force winds. The rain will

clear and then it turns colder, so a chilly weekend with showers, perhaps

snow on the weekend and the risk of frost.

Quick word about tomorrow. There's six months to go until Scotland goes

to the polls in the referendum on independence. I've been to

Motherwell, a former coal and steel town that has much in common with

places like Ebbw Vale, to find out why independence is on the agenda

there and not here. Much more on that and what a yes vote in Scotland

might mean for us on tomorrow night's Wales Today.

Jeremy Paxman's got Newsnight over on Two now. We're back at 6am

tomorrow. Goodnight. Hello, Mr Walsh.

I'm Ciara's...friend. And this is me life partner Martin,

Ciara's other da. I didn't know Ciara had a younger

brother. She doesn't.