Holidaymakers can now add Genoa to the list of destinations they will be able to fly to direct from Cardiff Airport this summer.

Four chartered flights have been added to the schedule to allow customers across Wales and the South West to join P&O’s Mediterranean cruises direct from the Welsh capital.

The Mediterranean cruises will visit Florence, Pisa, Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice, Kotor, Corfu, Roma and Ajaccio over 14 nights.

Flights to Genoa will depart on April 2n , April 30th, June 11th and September 3rd.

This new route comes after P&O Cruises’ chartered flights to Barbados from Cardiff Airport in January and February 2014 sold out in just a matter of weeks.

Cardiff Airport chief executive, Jon Horne, said: “This is really good news. P&O has recognised the demand locally for more cruise flights and we’re pleased our customers are being offered more and more travel options from Cardiff Airport.

“Our focus is on continuing to attract new carriers and routes to Cardiff, so we’re delighted to be able to offer this new cruise destination, which has never been available from here before.

“The good thing about offering cruise flights, such as this one, is that it makes it as easy as possible for local holiday makers to reach the sun without having to trek further afield to a more distant airport before their holiday even begins.”