It’s hosted a Pope, it’s been a gateway to Europe and it played a crucial role in World War II, but now an historic aviation hub in the West Midlands is set to close for good. Coventry Airport will say its final farewell in 2026, marking the end of 90 years in operation.
A UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson confirmed that the airport has ‘given formal notice to us of its plan to close the airport permanently with effect from 11 June 2026’. The closure is to make way for a battery gigafactory which has been planned since 2022.
Now for a little history lesson. Coventry Airport originally opened at Baginton Aerodrome in 1936 and was used as an RAF base during the Second World War. It was severely damaged when the Germans carried out a brutal air raid on Coventry on November 14, 1940.
After the war ended, the airport started operating passenger flights and during the 1980s it ran package holidays to Spain, France, Italy. It has hosted royals like Queen Elizabeth II and was also the airport that welcomed Pope John Paul II when he made his one and only trip to the UK in 1982.
It was acquired by investment firm the Rigby Group in 2009 and, these days, operations are much more stripped back. Now, the airport is mainly used for charter flights, the Air Ambulance Service or training. But those flights and runway operations will be gradually phased out until the hub completely closes in the summer. There’s also the Midlands Air Museum on the site, but that won’t be affected.
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