Airport stops all flights as it closes down for good today after 90 years

The site has a new purpose

The airport in the West Midlands was once a busy hub for travellers with Wizz Air flying to various European destinations, including Poland and Italy, until 2008.

However, in recent years, air traffic at Coventry Airport has been a little quieter, serving only the Air Ambulance Service and private charter flights.

The closure will mark the end of a 90-year history at the location.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, on May 9 flights officially halted at Coventry Airport while the the site permanently shut down today (June 11).

Coventry Airport has “given formal notice to us of its plan to close the airport permanently with effect from 11 June 2026”, a CAA spokesperson said.

Greenpower Park will replace the airport, as a site for vehicle battery production and recycling.

The site is located within the West Midlands Investment Zone, which is a government initiative intended to develop the region’s manufacturing sector.

More than 30,000 jobs will be created while attracting a possible £5.5 billion in private investment, according to the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Originally the site was established as Baginton Aerodrome in 1936.

It has accommodated freight, small aircraft, and occasional commercial flights over the years.

Coventry Airport. Credit: Getty

In 1982, the airport also played host to a Papal visit in 1982, when Pope John Paul II toured the UK and drew an estimated 350,000 people to the site.

In early 2004, the airport sold its lease to the German travel company TUI AG.

This led to a significant increase in commercial flight operations with flights by Thomsonfly using two Boeing 737s.

Meanwhile, further expansion came when Wizz Air started flights to Poland from the airport.

In 2007 the airport saw 5,553 flights and 1,012,281 seats, as per Simple Flying.

However, operations would be short-lived as the airport would cease flights in 2008.

Reflecting on the airport's rich history and the potential consequences for local businesses and the wider community, many locals have voiced their opinions on the closure.

Coventry Airport’s last scheduled passenger flights operated in November 2008, primarily driven by the withdrawal of Thomsonfly after a failed bid to build a new permanent terminal.

According to the BBC and Coventry Telegraph, the final commercial flight arriving from Malaga landed on November 9, 2008, leaving the site with only freight and general aviation.